THE building of a modern addition has ruined the outlook for a grade II listed pub in the heart of Warrington and should be removed.

But enough about the half-finished Business Incubator Centre, off Tanners Lane, the death knell has now sounded for the infamous conservatory at the King’s Head.

Homegrown conservationists such as myself can afford a wry smile when considering what glass and steel carbuncles are permitted to emerge in the name of progress (and Stevie B’s town hall coffers).

If Andrew Fannon, as owner of the Winwick Street hostelry, didn’t have a vague inkling that erecting a plastic Crystal Palace on the back of a late 19th century building might rankle with the planning department, I’ll know where to spend my next Scottish £20 note.

And in all honesty, his hopes of retaining his sports lounge were about as high as the chances of the various knots of cocky Widnes or St Helens teens who mouth off to regulars outside the premises after matchdays at the Halliwell Jones.

In the grand tradition, turnaround is fair play though, and Mr Fannon would have been well within his rights to raise a valid objection to another uninspiring box development on his horizon.

Before high horses are saddled, this is not to say that the ultimate purpose of the centre is not without considerable merit, forging ahead and supporting Warrington’s entrepreneurial spirit.

The Lord alone knows that we should be thankful for some progress on a site once grandly known as Arena Central. In the landlord’s shoes however, I’d be paying close attention to how the university technical college might look out of one of the King’s Head back bedroom windows.

Or at least pressing Warrington Borough Council’s planning department to see what precedents there are in their archives for such thorny questions.

  •  Perhaps it’s time for a little housekeeping at Podium Towers, dust the cobwebs off a few old favourites, shake the crumbs out of the keyboard, change the news litter tray.

Old sentimentalist that I am for Warrington Labour Party’s internal squabbles, it now appears to be a less-than-fond farewell for Fairfield and Howley’s Kevin Bennett, as he goes in to bat for an actual Socialist party.

Whether this bodes well for Nick Bent, in further fracturing the vote south of the river, remains to be seen. Not sure how many trade unionists there are in Lymm, Grappenhall and Appleton but this election could dazzle us with all manner of surprises.

The future now looks rosier than a Strawberry Vimto for the proposed Youth Zone at the former Mr Smith’s nightclub, after a begrudging vote of confidence from our Labour overlords. Dark murmurings have been forthcoming for the venture. Anyone investing £3million in such a scheme might be expected to show a flicker of interest in their return.

But this is the authority which remained remarkably incurious over the £1million loan to the backers of Warrington Wolves for a significant period of time and took 10 years or more to finally get moving on redeveloping Winwick Street.

Meanwhile the cabbie who refused to take passenger Edward Green and his guide dog Macca outside Central Station has been hauled off the roads.

Somehow the outcome of this closed licensing meeting was conveyed to the Guardian with remarkable efficiency – it’s funny how co-operative WBC can be when it suits eh?

Word reaching us from 2013 about the current crackdown on late-opening premises in Lower Bridge Street is hardly a surprise. No doubt it serves the future ambitions of the two chaps leading the charge.