Another Widnes pub could be lost in plans to convert it into corner shop

Another Widnes pub is facing closure after owners announced plans to turn it into a corner shop.

The owner of the Blundell Arms in Hale Road have applied for permission to convert the building into a convenience store, claiming there is “little chance” of it reopening as a pub.

In its application to Halton Council, published on Friday (March 19), owner Innavision Group claimed the pub had been “vacant for approximately 10 months”.

However, the pub’s Facebook page suggests it was open as recently as August 2020 and it may only have closed due to the return of lockdown restrictions.

The Blundell Arms is the second Widnes pub where new owners have applied to convert it into a convenience store.

The Majors Arms in Millfield Road is the subject of a similar application, which also claimed it had been vacant for 10 months despite evidence showing it was open much more recently.

Do you have memories of the Blundell Arms? What do you think of plans for the pub? Let us know in the comments section.

The owners of both the Blundell Arms and the Majors Arms have used the same planning agent to handle their applications - St Helens-based MAT Design.

Both applications also use the exact same words to support their plans, saying in both cases that the pub “has been vacant for approximately 10 months and there is little chance of it reopening for its lawful use”.

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Both applications also add: “The site is in a highly sustainable location for local people and would provide an excellent opportunity to purchase convenience goods without the need to travel by car.”

The owners of another Halton pub, the Devonshire in Runcorn, have also recently applied to convert the premises into flats.

That application claimed the pub had been vacant since 2019, but manager Tracey McHarg insisted that it had never been vacant and had only closed because of pandemic restrictions.

Members of the public are able to comment on Innavision Group’s plans for the Blundell Arms until April 8, and Halton Council aims to make a decision on the proposal by May 9.