Couple's Frustration: Derelict Pub Blocks Home Sale

0:00It's April 27th. This is Lester News today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Corey with the story. An elderly couple in Whitwick near Colville in Lestershire are beyond frustrated with the derelict oak pub right next to their home on school. Lane. The spot's been empty for over a decade, and back in October 2021, Northwest Lestershire District Council bought it to build 8 affordable homes after getting outline planning approval. The lays hid hard though. Demolition was set for August 2024, but got stopped over some paperwork air, and now they need full permission. Just a tear down since it was a pub site. The council spent nearly 500,000 pounds buying and maintaining the place so far. Anestieve Nicholson have dealt with squatters, overgrown weeds invading their fence, and rats in the garden making it impossible to sell their house. They make council folks and a local counselor back in July 2025, got promises of updates by January this year, but months later, there.

1:03Still hearing crickets. Even the counselor for the area says he's in the dark, asking questions and meetings with no real answers. The Nicholson's feel fobbed off after years of this mess, starting in 2017. Council leaders blamed COVID setbacks, a failed deal with the NHS to buy it, and now they're working on designs for a planning application later this. Prior to finally push things forward and get those homes built.