Campaign to preserve 'historic' pub after closure
BBCA campaign has been launched to preserve a Grade II*-listed pub which is more than 100 years old, following its sudden closure.
The Mountain Daisy, in Millfield, Sunderland, pulled its last pints on 1 March, after its landlord announced the venue had been sold to an undisclosed buyer.
The Sunderland and South Tyneside branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) said the pub was of "historic interest" and the group would be watching "very closely" to see what happened next to the site.
The Trust Inns, which originally listed the pub for sale, has been approached for comment.
It comes as some councillors raised concerns the building could be converted into shops or housing.
But the local authority has said it cannot prejudge any planning application before it is submitted, but the pub's historic status would be a "key factor" in any decisions about its future.
Sunderland Antiquarian SocietyThe pub, which is thought to date back to 1901, was much admired for its original interiors which have remained largely unchanged over the years.
CAMRA had awarded it three out of three stars for its heritage - one of only two such pubs on Wearside.
"A lot of people don't realise the heritage value of this particular pub," said Ian Monteith-Preston, a pub protection officer of the Sunderland CAMRA branch.
"We have a pub heritage group made up, around the country, of experts in original interiors - and they very much take a close interest in this pub.
"Now it has basically been sold to new owners, we will be waiting to see what they plan to do with the place.
"If there's a planning application, we will scrutinise that very closely," he added.
Liberal Democrats councillor Steve Donkin urged the council to "protect" the pub from any plans which might "damage or destroy" its historic interior.
"I am clear that the building needs to be kept as a pub. Sunderland Council must reassure residents that any attempts to convert the listed building into housing, shops or a take-away will be rejected and this historic building will be saved as a community local."
'Mindful'
However, the council's Labour member for housing, regeneration and business, Kevin Johnston, said the authority "cannot prejudge any planning application... let alone a hypothetical one that does not exist".
"The building is privately-owned, and should the council be determining any future application, then its Grade II-listed status will clearly be a key factor in the decision-making process.
"We would, in the meantime, encourage the pub's owners to be mindful of that heritage and consider it carefully as they look to the building's future use."