'Unsalvageable' derelict pub to be demolished

The Cross Inn will be demolished after several structural issues were found at the site

A Devon village pub which has sat empty for years will be torn down on health and safety grounds.

Mid Devon District Council's planning committee agreed to let The Cross Inn in Copplestone, near Crediton, be demolished after an architect's report last year said the building was unsalvageable.

The committee heard owners of the pub, which has been closed for several years, had made efforts to restore the site, but major structural weaknesses had hampered plans.

Olivia Ambrose, the pub's current owner, said the "full seriousness of the structural problems" did not come to light until initial repair work began in August.

Issues at the pub including a bulging wall between the gable end and left front lower window, which led to a three-week closure of the A377 while scaffolding was erected to enable repairs, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

When the work started, the south gable ended up being removed and experts asked to assess whether repairs could be carried out said demolition was the only course of action.

The demolition application relates only to the main building and not the outbuildings made of stone and deemed sound that were constructed after the pub.

'Stressful and traumatic'

Ms Ambrose told the committee four tenants had tried to make the pub work but all moved on in quick succession, with the last departing in 2019.

A scheme to renovate the pub and convert outbuildings to three homes was initially rejected by the Mid Devon authority in 2021, but was then granted via an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

However, during the works linked to this scheme, the weaknesses in the main building - which has traditional cob walls - were discovered.

"We're not property developers and we were naïve enough to think we could breathe new life into it," Ms Ambrose said.

She said difficulties coming to an agreement with a neighbouring property over the demolition meant the process had to be conducted in two stages, adding about £50,000 to their costs.

"Last year was the most stressful and traumatic of our lives," Ms Ambrose added.

Councillors asked if the building should be protected given it could be considered a "community asset".

But officers said a community asset would normally be a working and functioning building and, as the site was not listed, there was no heritage-related protection either.

Community hub

Copplestone Parish Council said the road closures linked to issues with the building had "caused misery" for everyone affected in the village.

It added the situation with the pub had been a very "anxious and stressful time" for the area's residents.

A spokesperson for the parish council said the building had been the hub of the community for a very long time before it became derelict.

"We on the parish council were very saddened to hear...the decision was made by the relevant authorities that the only option was to demolish the building," they added.

"A repair would have been lovely to see, but maybe, given the struggles the pub trade faces with so many closing every week, this wasn't deemed as a viable option."

Clarification 15 August: The article was updated on 11 August to include a response from Copplestone Parish Council