Landmark pub demolished but Sheffield Council has still not granted planning permission

Birley ward councillors said they were outraged to find that developers allegedly demolished the Frechville Hotel, at 1 Birley Moor Crescent, without planning permission earlier this month.

In a Facebook post, the councillors said the local authority would be writing to the developer to express their ‘deep concerns’.

But when asked what actions the council had taken, it said it ‘wouldn’t be appropriate to take any further action at this stage’ while the planning application was still live and a decision on the application was expected shortly.

A week after that response, and weeks after the alleged demolition, the council’s planning portal still says no decision has been made.

What did local councillors say?

In a post on their Facebook page, Birley ward councillors said: “In the absence of a decision on the above application, the demolition of the public house has occurred unlawfully and should have been supported by a prior notification application … We expect developers to work with the council and local community and not to carry on in this cavalier way. We are really sorry for the disruption this caused our local residents.”

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They added: “The council officers are now working to issue a decision on the planning application as soon as possible. The council has noted that there are a number of objections to the application and we want to reassure you that these will be taken into consideration.”

Demolition of the pub, which is believed to have been vacant for about a decade, was part of plans to build a new three-storey building comprising 11 apartments on the site with car parking.

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Councillors said while a prior notification application for demolition would have allowed the council to consider the method of demolition and the way in which the site would be left, the council would have had no grounds to stop the building being knocked down.

The councillors said they would also raise concerns with environmental officers regarding the noise nuisance caused during the demolition.

The developer was asked to comment.