The Old Red Lion, Whinmoor, Leeds
Pub to be demolished for a McDonalds Drive-thru:
Seacroft was a rural village beyond the city limits of Leeds 100 years ago, until it was subsumed into the Council Estates of East Leeds in the 1960s. A couple of the buildings from the old village remain but they are slowly being picked off.
This 260 year old pub, to the North of Seacroft in the former hamlet of Winn Moor is the last surviving old building for miles around. Open until 2021, the pub has been shuttered now for a few years and looks likely to be demolished by McDonalds to make way for a drive-thru. Just what the deprived communities of East Leeds need.
The pub was a hub of anti-social behavior and subject to police action that resulted in its license being revoked. Regulars described it as a lifeline for the community when threatened with closure, as there are no other pubs left in the area. Predictably, and arson attack earlier this year preceded the submission of the planning application.
Clearly the demand for a pub is there. It is not the pub that creates the anti-social behavior, and its closure will not address the violence that belies this community. It has however resulted in the loss of a community hub for the elderly locals that patronised the Old Red Lion for over 40 years.
The age of the pub alone should pique the interest of Heritage England who should immediately intervene. To demolish this building and replace it with a grey box that serves fast food would be criminal.
Whinmoor, before and after the social housing revolution of the mid-20th century
The Demolition Register 
Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Isn’t this 200+ years old inn worth preserving? The only ancient building for miles around! Why can’t it be protected by law? Yes, it needs some work, but on the main road between Leeds and York, the Old Red Lion would service travellers (as it was meant to do) as well as providing a refuge for local people wanting to escape the concrete jungle of the housing estate for a few hours every now and then. Please, somebody see this and rescue the Old Red Lion!!!