Plans to demolish a historic Merseyside pub building would be "disastrous", campaigners fighting to save it have said. The Glegg Arms building in Heswall, which dates back to the 1840s, could be pulled down to make way for more hotel rooms for the nearby Premier Inn Hotel.
The closure came after Whitbread, which owns both Premier Inn and Beefeater, decided to integrate a number of its Beefeater restaurants into the Premier Inn hotel branding, meaning the pub only now serves hotel guests. The Heswall Society and the local ward councillors for the area are campaigning for the 1800s façade of the historic pub to be preserved during the work.
History and Plans
The pub, which first opened in the 1840s, later became a Beefeater restaurant until it closed in mid-2024. Whitbread now plans to replace the pub building in a scheme that would increase the hotel's room count from 87 to 111. The design of the planned replacement would "mirror the former Glegg Arms and replicate the visual identity of the building," according to submitted planning documents.
Local councillors Andrew Hodson, Graham Davies and Kathy Hodson are working with the Heswall Society to urge and encourage Whitbread to explore other designs, which would preserve the pub's iconic façade. Cllr Andrew Hodson told the ECHO: "There is a lot of history attached to this building, and it would be disastrous to let it be demolished."
Campaign Response
He added that the building acts as "the gateway to Wirral." On the plans, which seek to build rooms on the building's footprint, the veteran councillor said: "Who would want to stay in a hotel room on a roundabout?" A petition has been launched by the Heswall Society which argues that simply replicating the historic façade does not suffice. Cllr Andrew Hodson explained the petition has already received more than 400 signatures.
Responding to the petition, a spokesperson for Whitbread said: “Over the past six months we have worked closely with Wirral Council’s planning and heritage teams and carefully explored whether the existing building could be converted and retained. Unfortunately, due to a range of structural and design constraints, it isn’t possible to do this in a way that secures a deliverable, high-quality hotel that meets the expectations of Premier Inn customers.“Our reworked plans have been shaped through that engagement, and we have worked hard to retain the essence of the Glegg Arms in our new designs. Our plans will deliver a high-quality development that helps us meet strong demand for hotel rooms in Heswall, supporting local jobs and delivering investment in the area, and we will continue to work closely and openly with the council as they consider the plans.”
