A succession of pub demolitions have left real ale fans reeling.

In the past year, at least six well-known inns across Bradford and Spen Valley have been razed to the ground.

And, as social habits shift, more are on the bulldozer hit list.

Here's what opened in Bradford city centre in 2019

It is a trend which sickens members of the district’s Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) branches.

As Peter Down, deputy chairman of Bradford Camra, says: “The pressure is on.”

During 2019, pubs razed to the ground included:

  • Westfield Hotel at the junction of Whitehall Road and Westfield Lane, Wyke
  • Kingswood Arms, Cutler Heights, Dudley Hill
  • The Old Pack Horse Inn at Highmoor Lane in Hartshead Moor
  • The Gallopers, on the corner of Lister Avenue and the A650 Wakefield Road in Bowling
  • Hare and Hounds pub in Menston
  • Beacon Hotel in Buttershaw

Haunts such as The Branch at Shipley and the Tempest in Holme Wood had already disappeared the previous year, while there have been renewed calls for the fire-hit Blue Pig at Fagley and the eyesore New Inn on Manchester Road to be knocked down.

Even popular pubs like the Sun Inn at Cottingley could be flattened to make way for housing.

Paul Dixey, secretary of the Heavy Woollen Camra, said: “Protections in place for pubs are weak.”

Peter Down said: “We are not happy with the situation at all. We never like to see pubs closing - apart from being demolished and lost completely.

“At the moment it seems the more traditional, wet-led (ie drinkers’) pubs are most at risk.

“We have seen quite a few losses of late. Equally, micro pubs are opening up and food-led places seem to be doing OK.”

Some, though, even buck that trend. The Hare and Hounds was a family-run, food-led pub which still failed to survive.

“It was in a somewhat isolated location, but still served a valuable community function,” said Mr Down.

“My feeling is that it is the pubs owned by the big companies which are being hit and it is not getting any better. Many of these firms are trying to recoup losses by selling pubs on as development opportunities rather than as pubs. This leads to the pub being put at risk of being lost or demolished.

“It is a very concerning situation.”

“Clearly there are a lot of competitive pressures on pubs,” said Gerry McHugh, pub protection officer for the Heavy Woollen Camra. “Business rates are a factor as are people’s changing habits. We all go through phases when we don’t go to pubs as much.”

While it is too late to save taverns such as the Branch, Camra members are fighting for other pubs threatened with closure or demolition.

Here, a change in legislation has helped in that pubs used to be closed or converted without planning permission. And that is no longer the case.

The Sun Inn at Cottingley is a point in question. An application has been submitted for housing on this site but there has been a large groundswell of objection from the community and the fight is ongoing.

Peter Down says it is the only pub of its type in that area and provides a community facility, a meeting place, food etc.

“People are kicking against what is happening but we are fighting both developers and planning departments,” he said. “Bradford’s planning department is not the most supportive when it comes to pubs.”

Another tool in the Camra box is community asset status. This is where buildings, such as pubs, can be protected from development while communities try to keep them alive.

This is happening with the Sun. “We are trying for a community asset status order to protect the pub and have submitted an application. So this is action we can take,” said Mr Down.

Similar struggles are taking place in Spen Valley where the Shears Inn at Liversedge is very much in focus. An application was made to demolish it but more than 300 people objected.

Mr Dixey said regulars at the pub then submitted a bid for community asset status which was approved. “But the owner appealed and got it overturned,” he said. “We are now going through the process of trying to get this status restored.”

Gerry McHugh said: “We are just hoping the Shears does not make the demolition list. The local community is putting a lot of effort into trying to save the pub.

“All this is disturbing for our members. If there is any positive news it is that, nationally, weekly pub closures are running at 14 and it has been much higher than that.

The Old Saw Inn at Gomersal is also under threat.

“We understand there is a planning application in the offing for this but there are no details other than it is likely to involve part demolition,” he said.

“It has been closed for some time now. Attempts to run it as a pub have failed.

“It is always hard to get things going again when a pub has been closed.”

And not all councils see community asset status as a material consideration when looking at planning applications. “Kirklees is one of them,” said Mr McHugh. “So the extent to which such a move is helpful is limited. We tend to rely on the goodwill of communities.”

Public transport is another issue for many pubs.

Mr McHugh said the 253 bus between Bradford and Dewsbury used to go past a number of excellent pubs - such as the Shears - but that was discontinued in February.

“If you are going out for a beer, you don’t want to be driving but access is a challenge.

“Camra do a lot of lobbying the government on this,” he said.

Peter Down says trying to protect local pubs is very much a watching brief for Camra. “And for everyone,” he said. “Anyone who feels a local pub is under threat should keep an eye on it.”

As to why all this is happening, he sees the big companies are a main culprit. “They are not so much interested in the pub but the bottom line,” he said. “Also there has been a demographic change, which is where traditional pubs are losing out. It is becoming cheaper and easier to get drink from the supermarket.

“Micropubs also have their selling points in that they have a constantly changing range available and more choice.

“There is a lot involved here.”

Gerry McHugh also sees the issue as an ongoing challenge. “But thankfully, overall Camra membership is steady,” he said. “There is plenty of real ale and places to drink it but a diminishing number of pubs. Our focus is on keeping the good ones.”