Historic Shakespeare Pub's HMO Plan Rejected

0:00On March 23rd, plans to turn the historic Shakespeare pub and Farnworth into a nine-bed house of multiple occupation have been rejected by Bolton. Council. This grey-two-listed building on Glen Street, rebuilt in 1926 after a fire, holds national importance for its extremely rare. Interwar interior features and neo-tutor design. The pub shut down in April 2022 and is sat empty despite efforts to attract new operators. Part of the rear now hosts a car buying business and some internal changes on the first floor had already started without permission, making those, elements of the application retrospective. Local residents strongly opposed the idea, with 21 letters highlighting concerns over losing a community pub, inadequate parking, and potential anti-social behavior from future tenants. Many argued it was the wrong use for such a protected heritage site. Council planners cited harm to the building's fabric and surroundings as the main

1:00issue, along with no share communal areas, privacy problems for, ground floor rooms, and a complete lack of outdoor space. They deemed the nine-bed set up unsuitable overall. This decision underscores the push to preserve rare pubs like the Shakespeare, leaving its future as a potential drinking spot still up in the air, while enforcement steps loom for the unauthorized works.