Historical pub could reopen after seven years

Plans to reopen a village pub which dates back 200 years have been put forward, seven years after it closed its doors.

The new move would see the Old Stags Head in Penn, Wolverhampton, refurbished and reopened.

Closing in October 2018 after a decline in trade, the former pub in Church Hill was put up for sale and was still available more than five years later – with the price reduced from £750,000 to £495,000.

Locals have fought off plans to convert the building, which is in the village's conservation area, into a new home on two occasions in recent years.

The pub owner's plan to turn it into a six-bedroom home was rejected by City of Wolverhampton Council in 2022. Government planning inspectors then upheld the decision after an appeal.

Another application to turn the former pub into a house was made in 2024, but the council rejected it for a second time after more than 300 people objected.

The pub is also registered as an asset of community value.

The new plans would see the pub, which has been described as in a "serious state of disrepair",  open again with a new layout that includes a bigger restaurant.

A statement included with the application said: "The proposal is to retain the public house however we intend on altering the internal layout to create a better environment for both staff and clientele.

"To achieve this, we will create a new secondary entrance, create a new more efficient ground floor layout, increase the number of toilets, improve the first-floor flat layout, improve the external layout and make good a site which is currently overgrown and detracts from an otherwise tidy and pleasant area.

"The proposals have been limited to, as far as possible, maintain the character of the existing building while offering patrons a more usable environment."

The application said the whole building was "dilapidated."

"Floors are bowed and lifted, internal walls and ceilings will also need to be repaired or replaced due to water damage and a lack of maintenance," the application continued.

"Windows have rotted and will have to be replaced."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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