Apartment block proposed for derelict pub site

A former pub which has been empty and derelict for decades could be replaced by a six-storey building containing dozens of flats.

Plans to demolish the Bell and Bear in Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent, were approved in 2023.

Now plans to replace it with a mixed-use development, including 41 apartments and six shops, have been revealed.

Applicant Made Architecture has sought outline planning permission at this stage, but illustrative plans show a building which includes a mix of one and two-bedroom flats.

Plans include a roof garden and ground floor retail units.

The applicant said the pub was "once one of the best watering holes in the Potteries", but now looked "a sad reflection of its former glory".

The application said the proposals "have been designed to fit into the existing context of the site".

"The now deserted Edwardian structure, has a demolition planning application in process. This proposal seeks to create a residential development," it said.

The aim is to use existing materials seen on streets surrounding the site, using both bricks and cladding.

"The proposal is to positively contribute to the area, enhancing the character of the street scene and providing much needed high quality accommodation and retail units," the application added.

In approving the demolition in 2023, the city council planning committee attached a condition requiring details of existing architectural features be retained and used in any subsequent redevelopments.

The pub closed in the 1980s and a former florist next door is also set to be demolished.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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