Lincoln Imp: Councillor raises concerns over plans to bulldoze pub

A former pub and music venue must not be allowed to become another "Crooked House", a councillor has said.

The Lincoln Imp in Gloucester Avenue, Scunthorpe, was boarded up in August last year.

Plans to demolish it to make way for flats have now been resubmitted to North Lincolnshire Council.

Referring to Britain's "wonkiest inn" in Staffordshire, recently destroyed by fire, Tony Gosling said: "We certainly don't want to see a Crooked House."

A planning application - rejected last year - to demolish the Lincoln Imp in favour of a 20-home development will be considered again.

Mr Gosling said he was "very disappointed" to learn the proposal was back before the council.

Admiral Taverns, which owns the site, said the pub was unsustainable, but has not ruled out options other than demolition.

Mr Gosling said the application was refused last time because the pub was open and the homes were viewed as "overdevelopment".

"We also wanted to retain the asset which was a vital community facility and was a major player in the production of talent in the music industry," he added.

Lorraine Briggs, the pub's landlady from February 2014 until its closure, said the resubmitted application "beggars belief".

Visiting the site last week, she was dismayed by its condition.

She said: "I couldn't believe the state of it, people have fly-tipped all over."

Ms Briggs said she took pride in the pub's ranking as the third best small music venue in the UK in a 2017 poll. 

"Even now, I get emails from bands all over the world who still want to play there," she added.

Chantelle Middleton, who worked behind the bar at the Lincoln Imp from 2017 to 2018, said she was also disappointed.

She said: "The last thing Scunthorpe needs is more homes. Every good thing that we have in this town is always inevitably stripped away for more 'homes'.

"It was the one place where people from any background, or just dressed differently, felt accepted. I definitely did."

An Admiral Taverns spokesperson said: "At Admiral, we take great pride in helping our licensees run sustainable businesses.

"In the case of the Lincoln Imp, we are reviewing all options, including speaking with relevant community stakeholders, however we are struggling to find a solution that will ensure a long-term future for this pub under our ownership or an external party.

"Talks with various stakeholders are still ongoing and it is important to add that no final decisions have been made at this time."

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