Heritage group criticises pub demolition inquiry

Sheffield City Council was forced to apologise over the demolition of the Market Tavern

A heritage organisation has called an investigation into the demolition of a historic pub a “smokescreen” and claimed the building could have been saved.

Hallamshire Historic Buildings (HHB) said the Market Tavern on Exchange Street in Sheffield was subject to "years of neglect and mismanagement" before it was demolished in January.

An independent investigation found there were several communication breakdowns, which caused the demolition to go ahead despite the city council agreeing a temporary halt to the work with campaign groups.

Councillor Ben Miskell acknowledged that more could have been done to preserve the building's heritage but said the authority was left with "no choice".

'Opportunities squandered'

He said: "The demolition was not a decision we took lightly, however, given the condition the building eventually ended up in, I was advised we were left with no other choice."

HHB called for Sheffield City Council to assess the state of the historic buildings it owned and put in place an action plan to ensure there was no repeat of the Market Tavern controversy.

A spokesperson said: “Numerous opportunities to protect the building were squandered and the failings run far deeper than recent claimed ‘communication problems’.”

In July, the council announced it had approved a new heritage strategy.

Mr Miskell said the council "absolutely" recognised the importance of heritage in Sheffield.

“We are currently working with partners across the city on a clear action plan as to how we can protect and also champion heritage going forward, through our adoption of the Sheffield Heritage Strategy," he said.

“We are determined and committed to ensure any errors made in the past are not made again in the future.”

The Market Tavern, which dated back to 1797 and was one of the city's oldest pubs, closed for business in 2006.

HHB said the independent report did not provide clarity on the events that led to the demolition.

A spokesperson said: “That report was an opportunity for the council to take ownership of the situation, yet what we are offered is more smokescreen than summary. We have been dismayed by the council’s lack of transparency."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, an executive summary of the investigation was published by the council in July. It found there was no malicious intent on behalf of the council, instead blaming a lack of consistent communication.

Castlegate is being regenerated as the council looks to secure conservation area status

The wider Castlegate area where the pub stood is being regenerated as part of plans to celebrate Sheffield's history.

HBB claimed the Market Tavern was an “excellent building that could have been a centrepiece in the redevelopment of Castlegate”.

They said: “While it beggars belief that this building could have been demolished in error, this fiasco points to a much bigger question: if the council can so complacently absolve itself of responsibility here, how many other fine buildings in its estate are knowingly being left to rot?"

Mr Maskill said the council was considering how best to progress conservation work in Castlegate.

He said: "The council is a champion of key heritage projects within the city, such as the restoration of Castlegate, and our efforts to secure conservation area status for the site."

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