PLANS to demolish a 450-year-old pub have been withdrawn by the developer.

The Raven Inn in Glazebury had looked set for the bulldozer, with proposals seeing the pub replaced with 10 homes.

But an application to Warrington Borough Council for planning permission to demolish the Warrington Road site - which closed last year - was formally withdrawn by developers Osborne and Co yesterday, Thursday.

An email from the applicant’s agent Walker Design sent to the council said: “Following recent discussions with our client, they have decided to re-evaluate the scheme and as such have requested we formally withdrawn the current application with a view we resubmit an alternative proposal.”

Around 500 residents had written formal objections to the scheme, which would have seen six semi-detached houses and three cottage-style dwellings built in place of the pub.

The Help Save the Raven Inn group was also formed in response to the news.

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Warrington Guardian:

Protestors outside the pub earlier this year

However, it is believed that the building will now be saved and incorporated into a revised housing development.

A letter from Osborne and Co chairman to residents said: “We should be able - at great cost, as the property is structurally very poor - to leave the visual impact of the building unchanged which should protect it forever.

“Obviously this will not satisfy those who wish it to remain as a pub, but we are informed that the pub is not viable.

“We hope this satisfies the majority of the people and would be pleased if you feel able to offer some support to our revised scheme.”

But Help Save the Raven Inn have warned residents to be cautious over their expectations for the developer's future plans.

In a statement, the group said: “We were expecting the developer to withdraw the current application, after what they said towards the end of February - we are now expecting an amended application which we await with interest.

“We need to see what comes forward, but we are mindful of what the developer said last month - that it is their intention, subject to planning permission, to convert the Raven Inn into two residential units and keep the front and side elevations as far as possible in the original form.

“So only two external walls, and then only as far as possible - and two additional dwellings to boot.

“The history and heritage of the Raven is in the entire building, not just two external walls - at best.

“We also note the developer uses the word should twice within their letter to some local residents.

“On the information available to us, at best, we get a facade concealing two additional dwellings - we do need to wait and see.

“In the meantime, we urge the developer to please consider walking away from this venture and allow the local community to preserve the entire building for the benefit of the local community.”