A COMPANY has pressed ahead with the sale of a historic Blackburn pub, despite pleas for the deal to be postponed.

Locals were desperate for the Hole I’th Wall pub to be registered as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) before its sale went through, which could have allowed time to save it from any planned closure.

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Admiral Taverns, which had only owned the Shear Brow pub since October, has refused to reveal the identity of the buyers, but said that contracts have now been exchanged.

There have been rumours the premises are set to be converted into an Indian restaurant, which would not require a ‘change of use’ under planning laws.

And Joanne Fox, who has gathered more than 220 signatures on a petition against any closure of the 179-year-old pub, is furious that the sale was agreed without locals being informed.

She said: “We’ve had everyone involved to try and postpone the sale and get the pub protected as an ACV, but we weren’t given any time. Admiral Taverns seem to have rushed the sale through, and we’re really upset that we weren’t told about it earlier.

“They’ve only had the pub since October and don’t seem to have given it any chance for business to pick up.”

Blackburn councillor Mike Lee, who helped with the ACV application, said: “The council have received the application now, but it hasn’t yet been processed so we’re really disappointed the sale has gone through anyway.

“It seems Admiral Taverns were determined to get rid of the place and didn’t give a monkeys about the residents.”

He said the ACV application could still be useful if the new owners want to change the use of the building under planning laws, for example to build residential property on the site, but it would not stop them converting the pub into a restaurant, as this does not need planning permission.

When asked to respond directly to claims that locals were not told about the planned sale of the pub until the last minute, Admiral Taverns declined to comment.

Andy Clifford, group property and strategy director, said: “We acquired this pub in October and since then we have been trying to recruit a licensee to run it. During that time there was a great deal of marketing activity, including a ‘to let’ board, e-shots and mail shots. Unfortunately we had no serious enquiries, neither did we receive any Asset of Community Value nomination from the local community. We have now exchanged contracts, but we are not at liberty to discuss who with.”

The pub remains open, for now, under temporary management.