Premier Inn has put forward plans to demolish the pub
Glegg Arms, Chester Road, Heswall. (Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Hundreds of people are rallying to save a beloved Merseyside pub which has held off the threat of demolition for now. The closed Glegg Arms on Chester Road in Heswall, which has been described as “the gateway to Wirral” is the subject of a major petition following a planning application being put in to knock it down.
It has operated as a pub since the 1840s but closed its doors for good in July 2024. Found next to Heswall’s Premier Inn, the pub had most recently been part of Whitbread’s Beefeater chain but its closure came as the company decided to shut a number of its venues across the country, and it later became a restaurant for Premier Inn guests.
Whitbread, which also runs the Premier Inn chain, said it would integrate many of its pubs into the hotel brand, with them acting as restaurants for guests – as had been the case with the Glegg Arms. A planning application was submitted by Premier Inn to Wirral Council to demolish the Glegg Arms and enable the construction of a new accommodation block for the hotel.
However, Premier Inn has now confirmed that no recent demolition work or surveys have been done at the building at this stage. A Premier Inn spokesperson said the company had instructed one of Whitbread’s expert planning and heritage consultants to assess the building. Their report argued that the building holds low significance because of changes made over the years and the benefits from hotel expansion would outweigh any loss to the building.
However the threat of demolition has been a key topic with hundreds of comments below posts in the town’s Facebook page as well around 1,000 people signing a petition online. A community group said the plans had “struck a nerve” and the campaign is being supported by a local councillor meaning the application is now expected to come to a council committee meeting in the future.
Cllr Andrew Hodson told the ECHO: “It’s the gate way to the Wirral and it’s the gate way to Heswall. It would be a great shame to stick a block of flats on it,” adding: “There’s a strong feeling that they do not want the building knocked down because of its heritage and history.”
He said Heswall did need hotels and he was happy for the Premier Inn to expand, arguing the current building could be kept as part of this expansion. He added: “There has been the odd one or two which are saying we are trying to stifle business but there have been hundreds of people supporting me.”
People have said the Glegg Arms is an important feature in Heswall(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Similar comments have been made by the Heswall Society. The group said it was “a beloved landmark and an irreplaceable heritage asset in Heswall” having “stood for centuries as an excellent example of a coaching inn.”
They criticised the proposal by Premier to demolish the building and asked the hotel chain to preserve it for future generations, adding: “The Glegg Arms is more than just a building. It is a part of Heswall’s history and character.”
Steve Anderson from the organisation said the building was once a refreshment stop off for people travelling to and from Chester by horse in the 1840s, adding: “It’s been there for a long time. People are used to seeing it. It’s got history and that is why we are concerned about losing the building.”
He said: “What we believe is they should be able to do things to incorporate the main façade into the new building so that it would retain the history and visual appeal.” adding: “I think it has struck a nerve.”
Mr Anderson said local councillors had been helpful in moving the issue forward and praised council officers for working responding to concerns over Christmas. They added: “It’s amazing how much we have managed to get done over the holiday period. We are very pleased with the council’s support on this.”
A Premier Inn spokesperson said their current focus was making sure Wirral Council had all the information needed to assess the application and confirmed it was planning to respond to a letter from the Heswall Society. They added the restaurant wasn’t viable in its current form but there was a need for new hotel rooms in Heswall.
Dominic Paul, Chief Executive Officer of Whitbread, said the company was investing £500m into its hotels over the next four years, adding: “We are in a unique position to be able to add 3,500 new hotel rooms and meet the strong demand we are seeing from guests around the country, whilst continuing to offer a great breakfast and dinner at all of our hotels. This plan is a further positive step, delivering a better experience for our hotel guests and helping to extend our market leadership in the UK.”