18th century pub to be demolished for houses

An 18th Century pub is set to be demolished in order to build four new houses.

Wakefield Council has approved plans to knock down The Reindeer Inn, at Overton, to make way for the new homes.

The pub, which dates back to 1704 but is not listed, is thought to have been a coaching inn on the first turnpike between Huddersfield and Wakefield, and was also well-used by miners from the former Caphouse Colliery nearby.

An application for the green belt site was put forward in 2024 over concerns the business was "not viable" due to a 60% drop in income since the covid pandemic, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

The scheme includes building on land near New Road, part of which is a disused playground, close to the National Coal Mining Museum.

A planning officer's report said the scheme would not cause "substantial harm" to the green-belt's openness.

"Given the relatively sustainable location of the site in relation to the road network, the location is considered acceptable," the report said.

A number of objections were lodged opposing the plans, with the Georgian Group saying the building was a "non-designated heritage asset" with "considerable historic value".

Addressing the concerns, the officer's report said the development was "acceptable in terms of the setting of adjacent heritage assets".

It added: "The council has exercised its duty to have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting."

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