Fire-destroyed Willenhall pub 'too badly damaged to reopen' to become HMO

Walsall Council planners gave the green light to transform the Falcon Inn, in Gomer Street, Willenhall, into a 15-bedroom residential development which would be split into two separate units.

It has been closed since April 2022 but developers Falcon Gomer Street Ltd said the damage is too significant for it to ever operate as a pub again.

Representatives said a HMO management plan has also been drawn up to ensure the proposed housing was up to standards and compliant with legislation and best practice.

Agents Boughton Butler said: “The public house was functional until April 2022, where it closed due to viability issues associated with its use.

“Since then it has been closed to the public and has been actively marketed since 2022.

“In January 2023 the building was subject to vandalism and a break in where all of the copper and steel associated with the heating system was stripped and stolen, and the premises also flooded due to the removal of pipework.

“Furthermore as the time of the vandalism the building was set alight and internally the entire building has significant smoke damage.

“In the case of The Falcon, the recent vandalism and arson attack on the property has patently rendered the building unviable to re-open as a public house.

“Fundamentally, whilst the applicant could demonstrate that the building is not viable to retain in its current use; where a new publican would need to invest significantly in the building, and those investments are not likely to be returned quickly given the market conditions, it is considered that the loss of the pub would not have detriment to the local community given the quantum of community facilities within close proximity to the site.”

They added: “The proposals include the change of use of the building from a Public house into two large HMOs consisting of an eight-unit ground floor HMO, and a seven-room first floor HMO including the use of the pub garden for amenity space and vehicular driveway for shared parking.

“In order to facilitate the new residential use the building will, internally, undergo alterations including some demolition to form the internal arrangements for the HMO units with shared kitchen, dining, living and bathroom facilities.

“The two HMO units will be split horizontally over the two storeys, with the basement reserved only for landlord storage and maintenance.

“Externally some minor alterations to the fenestration are necessary where internal partition walls are proposed or windows are required to be installed for natural light, and a small rear extension is proposed to facilitate additional internal floor area.

“The former garden to the public house will be retained as shared amenity space for both HMO units, as well as containing bin and cycle storage.”