Oddfellows Hall pub, Pudsey

Prior notification for the demolition of Oddfellows Hall pub in Pudsey:

Permitted development rights exist for the demolition of buildings, with exceptions for listed buildings, and buildings in conservation areas. The class of permitted development rights was updated a few years ago to also exclude pubs and restaurants following a spate of demolitions that saw many villages left without a pub.

However, some planning officers do not seem to be aware of this clause in the legislation, and a number of pubs have been lost via this route of prior notification.

With the above application, I contacted the local Ward Member and the Planning Officer to inform them of this, and the Yorkshire Post has reported that the application has been refused. Great news. However it is likely that the owners will come back in with a planning application.

This happened last year by stealth, and we lost the Gas Club in Huddersfield when an application came in and was determined very quickly without consultation with the Ward Member or a reasonable amount of time for public comment.