Historic 300-year-old pub to be DEMOLISHED with beloved venue branded ‘not viable’ after 60% drop in income since Covid
A HISTORIC pub that has stood for over 300 years is set to be demolished after struggling to survive in the wake of the Covid pandemic.
The Reindeer Inn in Overton, Yorkshire, will be knocked down to make way for four new homes after Wakefield Council planners approved the scheme.
The decision comes after the owners reported a staggering 60 per cent drop in income since Covid, making the business no longer viable.
According to The Yorkshire Post, the application to redevelop the site was submitted last year as the owners sought alternatives to keep afloat.
The pub, which dates back to 1704, was once a bustling coaching inn on the old turnpike between Huddersfield and Wakefield and later became a favourite for miners from the nearby Caphouse Colliery, now part of the National Coal Mining Museum.
But despite its long history, the Reindeer Inn is not a listed building.
National heritage groups, including the Georgian Group and Historic Buildings & Places, objected to the plans, arguing that the pub is a “non-designated heritage asset” with “considerable historic value.”
They also warned that losing the building could set a legal precedent, putting other historic sites at risk.
The scheme includes building on a section of land leading down to New Road, part of which was once a children’s playground but has long been disused.
Outbuildings near the pub will also be demolished to make space for the new homes.
A planning officer’s report said the proposal: “would not cause substantial harm to the openness of the green belt” and described the site’s location as “relatively sustainable” in relation to the road network.
It concluded that the development would be “acceptable in terms of the setting of adjacent heritage assets.”
The owners, who have run the Reindeer Inn for over 17 years, say they have been hit hard by the pandemic’s aftershocks.
A weekly average of 120 Sunday lunches sold before Covid has dropped to just 27.
Staff numbers have fallen from 11 to four, and energy costs have surged, with January electricity bills reaching £1,200 and gas bills at £350.
The owners say they saw no alternative but to submit the redevelopment plans.
The council’s report also pointed out that the area is well served by other pubs, including the Black Swan in Overton and the Albion House Club in Middlestown, just over a mile away.
The plan has divided the local community.
Wakefield Council received 19 objections from residents, with five letters of support.
Some locals argue the pub is a vital part of the area’s identity.
One objector said: “Heritage is extremely important to the sense of community.
“Problems arise from the removal of historical sites.”
Another compared it to tearing down iconic cities, asking: “Would you demolish Bath or York and replace them with high-rise flats?”
Supporters of the plan, however, believe the pub’s time has passed. One resident told the BBC that: “The pub is always empty when I pass.
“It’s not used by the community as there is a pub further on Old Road.”
Others pointed out that the new homes would bring much-needed family housing to the area.
The Reindeer Inn’s history is deeply woven into the fabric of Overton.
Early Ordnance Survey maps show its presence, and documents from the National Coal Mining Museum highlight its importance to the miners who once drank there.
The Georgian Group has argued that despite modern updates, the building has retained much of its 18th-century charm.
Yet despite the objections, the council has ruled that the development meets planning guidelines and balances the need for housing with heritage concerns.
The officer’s report stated that the council had “exercised its duty to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting.”
Unless a last-minute challenge emerges, the Reindeer Inn will soon join the long list of historic pubs across the country lost to time and redevelopment.
CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) reported that 1,293 pubs permanently closed in 2023, with 194 of them demolished, a figure that highlights the ongoing struggle of the hospitality sector.