Call for Essex Victorian pub to be 'preserved' through records

Essex County Council has asked that the history of the pub be preserved through records

Calls to preserve a derelict Victorian-era pub by making historical records of the building before it is demolished have been submitted.

The Cock and Magpie could be razed as part of a planning application to build eight houses in Epping Green, Essex.

Archaeological advice submitted to Epping Forest District Council shows the first inn at the site was present as far back as 1875.

It was a Thai restaurant when it was last used in 2017.

A planning statement reports the building is vacant and in a state of disrepair, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A planning application by Antella Development Ltd to demolish the "obsolete" former public house has been submitted to the district council this week.

Essex County Council has recommended it be "preserved by record" and that no demolition should take place until a programme of historic building recording has been secured.

A section of archaeological advice submitted to the district council said: "There is the potential for preserved historic structural remains and features within the building despite the building's later alterations," it added.

A similar application to demolish the pub for eight houses was submitted in April 2019, but was refused in December 2020 on the grounds it would be a loss of potential employment space and contribute to over-development.

An appeal against that decision was dismissed in August 2021.

Epping Forest District Council is likely to decide on the new proposals later this year.