A heritage group is accusing the city council of ‘wilful neglect’ after it looks set to pursue the full demolition of a former city centre pub once again.
What was the Tithebarn, which has been owned by Preston City Council for near a decade, had previously been due to see part of the structure saved after a re-think by councillors in the summer.
But as Blog Preston reported on Wednesday new structural reports have deemed the condition of the building as ‘too dangerous’ – which heritage campaigners have railed against.
Read more: Old Dog Inn to be ‘meticulously’ restored so it looks like before collapse
Dialogue between the Preserving Preston Heritage group and the city council’s ruling Labour group appears to have broken down over the Tithebarn pub decision as the heritage group responded with a two-page tirade after the new decision was announced and took aim at the city council’s deputy leader who had posed outside the Tithebarn on social media over the summer declaring the council’s ruling Labour group ‘will save it’.
An initial plan for full demolition, announced in May, was met with dismay from the heritage group who tabled their proposal for the building to be gifted to them and converted into a new heritage centre for the city. A plan which the city council say is not workable given the condition of the building.
Good use of funds?
In their response to the latest Tithebarn pub decision founder and director of Preserving Preston’s Heritage CIC, Rachel Bryson, said: “We made it clear that we were ready to take responsibility for the building — entirely at no cost to the taxpayer
“We’d already gained significant traction with funders and had a detailed business case ready to go. Yet the Council ignored it. Instead, they’re spending nearly half a million pounds to erase another piece of Preston’s history.”
The group claim demolition will cost between £350,000-£450,000, a figure which the city council dispute saying initial estimates are below this figure. A spokesperson told Blog Preston: “Quotes for demolition has been sought (but remain confidential) and are significantly lower than the figure PPH are suggesting.”
The heritage group also claim they had ‘secured independent funding and had a clear roadmap to stabilise, repair and repurpose the building’.
But deputy leader and cabinet member for resources councillor Rawlinson told Blog Preston he felt there wasn’t a viable case saying: “We understand that PPH has no available funding in place for a conversion of this scale, or to cover the costs of any of the urgent repairs that would need to be done.”
Disputing the surveys
Two fellow directors of the heritage lobby group, Ashley Preston and Glenn Cookson, claim the latest surveyors reports were not instructed to produce a scheme to shore up or repair the structure.
Ashley Preston said: “That’s what structural engineers do. They’re supposed to explore how a structure can be made safe. Instead, the Council asked only for confirmation that it should be demolished. This isn’t due diligence — it’s damage control.”
And Cookson hinted at a continuing breakdown between the two sides saying: “We also can’t ignore the timing. The Tithebarn Heritage Centre proposal gained strong public support and attention at a time when the Youth Zone opening next door was approaching. We feel we were placated and side-lined to prevent distraction from the Council’s preferred narrative.”
Cllr Rawlinson defended the surveys saying: “The Council has listened and explored the Preserving Preston Heritage (PPH) proposals to convert the building into community use and has sought expert advice to see if there was some way the building could be in part saved, to facilitate plans of this nature to go ahead. Saving the whole structure was never an option, as the property is in too much of a bad state of repair. We have listened to independent expert advice and do not make this decision to demolish the property lightly.
“The property is too unsafe to remain standing in its current state, and we have a duty of care to our residents, especially located next door to the imminent new youth zone that will welcome thousands of young people through its doors. If we can salvage some of the exterior wall to incorporate into a new building the future, juxtaposing new with old, or using some of the original bricks, we will do so.”
Pot, kettle black over heritage buildings?
Glenn Cookson said he felt the Tithebarn decision set a ‘dangerous precedent’ for the future of Preston’s heritage.
The former pub, while not a listed building, has seen a pub in some shape or form on the site since the 1700s.
Mr Cookson criticised the deputy leader for his comments about the Tithebarn and heritage buildings, saying: “From the start, Preston City Council never took our proposal seriously. During a meeting, Councillor Martyn Rawlinson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources, actually laughed when the idea of saving the building was raised, joking that he’d prefer to turn it back into a pub so he could drink there. We found that comment incredibly dismissive — it showed a complete lack of respect for our grassroots community effort and for the heritage of this 300-year-old building.
“Our proposal to transform it into a Heritage Centre deserved proper consideration, not ridicule.”
He went on to express his concern over what the city council planned to do about other heritage buildings in its own ownership, Lancastria House, the nearby former Tea Bar buildings and the former Larder building opposite the Town Hall.
He said: “These once-iconic buildings have become an eyesore in the heart of the city. They stand as visible proof of Preston City Council’s failure to care for its own heritage assets. How can the Council expect to enforce powers to protect privately owned historic buildings when it is allowing the ones it owns to decay and deteriorate?”
“Preston deserves regeneration — but regeneration that respects and builds upon its history, not one that erases it,” said Glenn Cookson. “The Council had a viable, cost-free community solution in front of them — and they turned it down.”
Earlier this week the city council served notice on the owners of Edith Rigby House, or College House, in Winckley Square to undertaken urgent repairs or they would undertake them and send them the bill.
Cllr Rawlinson defended the city council’s wider approach to heritage buildings in the city – but did not address his comments made in the summer cabinet meeting,
He said: “Earlier this week, it was reported that the Council has taken affirmative action against the owner of the Grade II listed building at 26a – 27 Winckley Square (also known as College House or Edith Rigby House), who failed to make good on a final warning to carry out repairs to the building in response to concerns regarding its poor state of repair.
“The Planning Enforcement team, working as part of the Empty Property Task Force has now served an Urgent Works Notice under Section 54 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 requiring a range of works to be undertaken by the landowner within 14-days. This shows the Council’s commitment to tackle problem landlords and unscrupulous property owners in the city, applying the right resources, working collaboratively with other anchor partners and public bodies such as the police, fire service, street safety officers and community groups, taking appropriate steps to find a solution, and using the legislation available to achieve the required successful outcomes.”
The city council has stepped up planning enforcement notices considerably since the formation of the Preserving Preston Heritage group which can trace its roots back to the embers of the fires which ripped through a former listed building in Church Street and the former St Joseph’s Orphanage in November last year.
Member champion for heritage at the city council, councillor James Hull, had hinted on Wednesday there may be a way forward with the heritage campaigners.
He said: “It is very disappointing news that the Tithebarn Pub cannot be saved, even partially. Our priority now has to be one of public safety and we will move swiftly with demolition as originally intended. We will continue discussions with PPH around future community uses of the plot.”
His comment has since been removed from the city council website.
What happens next?
An amended planning application for full demolition of the building is being submitted. A previous application for partial demolition was approved in July.
The building itself has been fenced off since May when masonry began falling into Tithebarn Street and the city council said on Wednesday additional protective measures are due to be put in place to protect nearby buildings such as the former Aladdin’s Cove warehouse which is a grade-II listed former mill building.
The Tithebarn timeline
The t-word has always meant trouble in Preston (after it became synonmous with the failed retail-focused regeneration scheme for the city in the mid-2000s), here’s a potted history of what’s happened with the former pub and the will it, won’t it, question mark over the wrecking ball looming.
2016 – the pub closed its doors for the final time, the Campaign for Real Ale say a pub has stood on the site since the 1700s in some shape or form. We also reported how Simon Rigby at the time had expressed an interest in buying it.
2021 – we reported how the future of the pub was ‘uncertain’ after the plot of land nearby was earmarked for the now soon to open Youth Zone
summer 2024 – as the Youth Zone construction work got into full swing, Blog Preston asked the city council what their plan was. It perhaps hinted at what’s unfolded as they said: “The Council recognises that something needs to be done with the building/site to address its run-down appearance, particularly following construction of the Youth Zone and the aim will be to ensure that a proposal comes forward which brings the building/site into active use and/or improves the appearance of the area, consistent with the extensive £200m regeneration programme in the Harris Quarter and city centre.”
8 May 2025 – the area of Tithebarn Street along the front of the pub is fenced off after reports of falling masonry
29 May 2025 – A plan for full demolition of the building is unveiled by the city council, saying the condition of the building means it needs to come down and they hope to replace it
31 May 2025 – Heritage campaigners unveil their proposals for it to become a heritage centre, urging the council to consider gifting the building as a community asset
11 June 2025 – Proposals go to the city council’s cabinet for a decision about the future of the pub, with the recommendation being to demolish it entirely
17 June 2025 – Heritage campaigners urge the city council to consider a delay to see whether part of the building can be saved
18 June 2025 – Cabinet members meet to discuss the proposal, Blog Preston was the only media outlet to attend and cover the meeting – our live updates are here. Moments before the meeting is about to start we are handed a copy of the Tithebarn agenda item which has the plan for full demolition crossed out and an amended plan written on it instead which states the council hopes to salvage some of the building pending further surveys.
As the agenda item is passed, the city council’s deputy leader releases a social media post of him standing in front of the pub wearing a city council lanyard and saying: “prestonlabour will save the Tithebarn, make it safe and renovate it. #prestonmodel”
Council leader Matthew Brown said in a statement released after the cabinet meeting about the decision: “This is not a ‘u turn’ as has been reported. There has for some time been a desire to do more to preserve our heritage buildings as a Labour Council. That is why we appointed a Heritage Champion very recently and initial recommendations from officers are just that. Ultimately, we decide as local politicians.”
Heritage campaigners claim the city council only changed their minds because of their campaign, accuse the council of conducting a u-turn and take issue with some of the comments made during the cabinet meeting.
23 June 2025 – Blog Preston asks the nearby under construction Youth Zone boss Tim Jacques for his thoughts on the Tithebarn. He said: “Timing is therefore a critical element in all this for us as it would not be an ideal situation to have an unsafe building, or construction site, right outside our doors as we prepare to open.”
8 October 2025 – The city council release an update saying new reports from independent surveyors meant they had changed their position and would be proceeding with a full demolition of the building – pending a revised planning application being approved and further discussions taking place amongst the city’s ruling Labour group.
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