News
Developers ordered to rebuild historic pub brick by brick after they destroyed it
A group of property developers have been ordered to rebuild a listed pub after they destroyed it without permission.
The Punch Bowl Inn, a Grade II listed pub located on Longridge Road in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire, was reduced to rubble in June 2021 after the developers ‘grew tired’ of waiting for permission. They must now put it back together brick by brick and have to pay a hefty fine.
Donelan Trading Ltd and contractor Percliff Ltd claimed the building had fallen into disrepair and had been targeted by arsonists since it closed in 2012, and bought the site in 2015. Ribble Valley Council said it had made efforts to engage but the group ignored the warnings.
Now five defendants have been fined a combined total of more than £20,000 at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court after they were found guilty of various offences following a trial. Andrew Donelan, 61, Nicola Donelan, 59, Rebecca Donelan, 29, all of of Carr Hall, Wilpshire, David John Cotterell, 58, of Percliff Way, Blackburn, and Brian Ingleby, 70, of Hollowhead Avenue in Blackburn, were all found to have unlawfully demolished the pub.
All but Rebecca Donelan were also found to have demolished a listed building without giving the local authority notice of their intention and without the local authority having given them notice to do so. The pub was built in the 1720s and visited by highwaymen Ned King and Dick Turpin.
Turpin and King are said to have stayed for three days after which Turpin travelled on to York while King attacked travellers on the local roads, assisted by landlord Jonathan Brisco. King was executed in 1741 and his ghost was said to haunt the pub.
Ghost tour guide Simon Entwistle said he was ‘devastated’ to see diggers destroying the historic Punch Bowl. Mr Entwistle said what he saw left him ‘shocked’ and ‘deeply saddened’, as he told The Lancashire Telegraph: “Mechanical diggers were reducing the building to rubble.
“I thought what a shame to see all that history destroyed forever. It was shocking and deeply saddening to me to go around the corner and see it. The people on the tour had come from Bristol and were enjoying the tour. They were witnesses to what happened that day too.
“This is the first time I have ever come across something like this. Seeing such a beautiful building being brought to the ground – it was very sad. It was a big hit with people, many famous ghost hunters came to the building, even people from America. It was said to be one of the most haunted inns in the North West.”
As reported by ITV News, David Lawson, defending, told the court the group were worried the building, in Hurst Green, had become unsafe over time. He said they believed its state had declined over the years and had been broken into and targeted by arsonists. He also said the defendants alleged Ribble Valley Council had not acted properly or fast enough, as they became frustrated with apparent delays.
However, Killian Garvey, representing Ribble Valley Council, said borough planning staff had communicated professionally and had made efforts to engage with the group. But they ignored various warnings, including from Historic England, and demolished the pub without permission. They also failed to have a proper road closure.
A previous hearing at Burnley Magistrates’ Court heard a key witness, construction firm boss Gez Pegram, tell a jury that there had been ‘no need’ to demolish the pub. The court agreed Ribble Valley Council was justified in wanting its full costs reimbursed for the work linked to the Punch Bowl Inn action, and that the council had acted correctly.
At Blackburn Magistrates’ Court, Donelan Trading Ltd was fined £12,000, handed a £1,200 court surcharge and ordered to pay £20,000 towards costs. A total of £33,200.
- Andrew Donelan, as an individual person, received a £2,000 fine, a £200 surcharge and told to pay £2,000 towards costs.
- Nicola Donelan was given a £1,000 fine, a £100 surcharge and ordered to pay £1,000 costs.
- Rebecca Donelan received a lower £200 fine, a £25 surcharge and told to pay £250 towards costs.
- Purcliff Ltd was fined £5,600, had a £560 surcharge and told to pay £20,000 towards costs.
- Brian Ingleby was fined £1,000, given a £100 surcharge and charged £1,000.
- David John Cotterell was fined £400, given a £40 surcharge and has to pay £400 towards costs.
The businesses were told to pay fines, surcharges and costs soon while the individuals were given slightly longer periods to repay. An order has been made that The Punch Bowl Inn must also be rebuilt and restored inside and out — through a separate planning process .
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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