Halfway House pub, Wyke, Bradford
Outline application for the demolition of a pub to make way for a vehicle service yard:
The Halfway House pub managed to reopen again after Covid-19 lockdowns and was serving the local community well until quite recently at which point the pub suddenly closed, presumably to create a vacant asset ripe for a demolition application.
Clearly a pub in this location is viable, and its demolition would represent the loss of a vital community facility, further eroding the social capital of this already struggling old mill town. Pubs close and reopen all the time. To have been shuttered for 12 months is no indication that it is redundant.
Particularly concerning would be the building’s replacement with a tarmac hardstanding and industrial utility for car repairs and cleaning. This is town centre street, which is characterised by dense built form and elevations facing the road. A mechanics workshop would see a large hole cut out of the urban fabric of central Wyke.
The fact this in an outline application to test the water suggests the applicant knows that this is folly. I hope the Council agree.
An image of the pub from 1908 shows how the pub contributes to the attractive townscape of Wyke.
The Demolition Register 