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Railway Tavern - Hanley |
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Railway Tavern - Hanley |
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Vale Place Although now (2000) there is no sign of the railway which gave this public house it's name - the North Staffs Railway, Potteries Loop Line ran next to the pub. Directly behind the Railway Tavern was a Coal Wharf and on the opposite side of Vale Place was Boothen Colliery.
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Sentinel Newspaper- June 14th 2000:
Workmen were stopped from demolishing a derelict Cobridge pub with lump hammers yesterday afternoon after it emerged they did not have permission for the work.
The men were sent home from the Railway Tavern on Vale Place by council officers who promptly sealed off the site.
The building is now left with only two walls standing - the front and one at the side - and without a roof.
It is believed the owners of the former pub decided to destroy the building because of problems with squatters.
But they apparently failed to gain the relevant permission from either the council's planning department or the Health and Safety Executive.
An eyewitness said: ``I was walking past and they seemed to be pulling it down with a lump hammer and some rope. It looks really dangerous, as if a good wind would blow it into the road.
``I cannot believe they are pulling it down. That pub was part of the traditional Stoke-on-Trent, but it has become jam-packed with heroin needles.''
When council officers arrived at the pub they discovered the workmen had failed to fence off the site, running the risk of debris crashing onto the busy road just yards away.
Once they had checked that the building posed any public danger in its current state, they stopped work.
A council spokesman said: ``One of our officers happened to be passing the Railway Tavern and saw what was happening. Because he was concerned for the safety of the public, he spoke to the man in charge at the site and insisted that they leave.
``There is no danger of the building falling down and we now intend to get in touch with the owners of the pub to make sure the site remains safe.''
Health and Safety Inspector Pete Yoxall outlined the measures required by their executive before demolition could take place.
He said: ``The area should be fenced off from the public, there should be a competent person in charge and there should be a health and safety plan. But when these fly-by-night people get involved, it becomes more difficult to regulate.''
