Spon End pub The Black Horse to be demolished

Heritage groups opposed the plans, but councillor approved the demolition on Thursday

A 200-year-old pub in Coventry is to be demolished.

Councillors agreed on Thursday that The Black Horse in Spon End - no longer operating as a pub - should be knocked down.

The move is to enable road-widening on the nearby B4106.

Residents and heritage groups including the Victorian Society, Georgian Group and Historic Buildings & Places were against the plans.

But the city council said the works were legally required as part of government rules to reduce pollution.

There were 32 written objections to the application, and 175 people signed an online petition calling for the plans to be abandoned.

"Future generations"

Councillor Roger Bailey, who opposed the demolition, told the meeting historic buildings kept being lost in the city and questioned whether the council could move the pub and reconstruct it, despite the expense.

But councillor Pervez Akhtar, who supported the demolition, said air pollution was "killing people", adding: "We have to do our bit for our children and future generations."

A council officer assessing the application had previously concluded that the scientific grounding for the roadworks and public benefit from them outweighed concerns about heritage loss.

Councillor Lindsley Harvard, who was chairing the meeting and also voted to knock down the pub, announced the final decision "with regret" and thanked the public for their "passionate speeches".