THE BREWERY in charge of The Swan says it is "saddened" to see the future of a much-loved pub put under threat by demolition plans.
As part of St Helens' town centre regeneration plans, the council has put forward a Compulsory Purchase Order that would see the building flattened to make way for a new and improved bus station.
It has been "nearly 30 years since St Helens Bus Station was last improved", so a more attractive and accessible bus station is a "core component" of the council's plans to drive footfall into a revamped town centre.
After "extensive engagement" yielded positive feedback to the council's wider development plans, it aims to bring new homes, offices, retailers, hotel and a market into the town centre.
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While they understand the benefits behind St Helens' wider regeneration plans, the brewery behind The Swan, Punch Pubs, says it is "saddened" to see its future put under threat, which would also leave six people without a job and the landlady, Angela Hindley, without a home.
Despite the controversy surrounding the CPO, with more than 1,800 people signing a 'Save the Swan' petition, the brewery says there has been "no meaningful contact from the council regarding this development".
'No meaningful communication'
Stephen Radford, head of estates at Punch Pubs & Co said: “The Swan is an important part of the Punch portfolio and a much-loved asset to the community, so we’re saddened to see its future put under threat by this redevelopment, although we understand the wider benefits of the town centre regeneration.
"To date, we have had no meaningful contact from the council regarding this development and are reviewing our position and potential next steps.
"We enjoy a good relationship with our Publican and support her as she continues running a fantastic pub business through this challenging time.”
Breakdown in communication
St Helens Council said it contacted Punch Pubs three times last year about the Swan's potential demolition and were informed they had been in "direct contact with the tenant over the plans".
As there has been a breakdown in communication, the council pushed the blame on to the brewery as they "would not enter into discussions" with a third-party consultant, on behalf of the council, until the CPO was made.
As the CPO was approved in December, the council said it is hopeful that the brewery will return to negotiations surrounding the future of the site.
The deadline for objections to the council's CPO of the Swan is on Friday, January 13, which could result in a public inquiry hearing.
If the government give the council's plans the go ahead, the landowner will receive compensation and the Swan pub is estimated to be transferred into council ownership in spring 2024.
READ > Pub regulars prepared to fight against the Swan's proposed closure
St Helens Council statement
A joint statement from St Helens Borough Council and The English Cities Fund said:
"At their heart, our plans which were informed and shaped through an extensive engagement exercise, focus on a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revitalise the town to benefit everyone within the St Helens community.
"Our approach to creating a high-quality, vibrant town centre, has initially focused on contacting those who will be directly impacted by the first phase of regeneration, which will include a new market, hotel offices, new homes and much needed transport infrastructure improvements.
"We have also been working closely and successfully with many owners and businesses and we will continue to work tirelessly to find practical solutions that support the delivery of a strong St Helens town centre economy.
"As part of the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) process, it is common practice to appoint specialist third-party consultants to provide support throughout the land assembly process and any CPO period.
"In the case of St Helens town centre, the council and its strategic regeneration partner, The English Cities Fund (ECF), appointed Keppie Massie to undertake the negotiations and land assembly on their behalf.
"Keppie Massie, on behalf of the council and ECF, has contacted Punch Partnerships, the owner of the Swan Hotel on a number of occasions since June 2022, seeking to engage in discussions about the acquisition of the Swan Hotel on a negotiated basis as opposed to through the use of CPO powers.
"In response, Punch Partnerships confirmed they would not enter into discussions with Keppie Massie until the CPO had been made, which happened in December 2022, and that they wished to liaise with their tenant in the first instance.
"The council has progressed the CPO process in the meantime, and is hopeful that with the CPO now made, Punch Partnerships will be able to satisfactorily conclude the consultation with their tenant in order to fully engage in the process.
"It is understood that Punch Partnerships have appointed their own consultant and the council remains ready and willing to hold discussions with Punch Partnerships, their tenant and consultant at any time, to achieve a suitable resolution to benefit all parties."
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