Plans to demolish the Lincoln Imp, a former music venue in Scunthorpe, have been refused by North Lincolnshire Council's planning committee for the second time. The pub group Admiral Taverns had sought to knock down the building on Gloucester Road to build 20 flats.
Campaigners, who hope to reopen the venue as a community-run music hub, described the decision as 'elating'. Emily Jackson, a 22-year-old musician, said: 'The Lincoln Imp is more than a venue, it's a community.' Lorraine Briggs, 67, who managed the pub for eight years before its closure in August 2022, added: 'We came here today praying it was not going to be knocked down.'
Admiral Taverns first applied for permission to demolish the 300-capacity venue in August 2023, but that was refused due to concerns about the loss of a community asset. The company argues the venue is 'commercially unviable' and would require over £282,000 in investment to reopen. Council officers had recommended approval of the revised plans, stating the pub had been closed for 15 months and 'no longer provides a community facility'.
However, the planning committee unanimously rejected the proposals, with councillors unconvinced that Admiral Taverns had made sufficient efforts to find a buyer. Richard Gee, director of developers Roman Sumner Associates, claimed the pub had been 'actively marketed' but 'not a single party has stepped forward'. Campaigners disputed this, saying they had repeatedly enquired about purchasing the building but were told contracts had already been exchanged. Ms Briggs said: 'We just come up against brick walls with Admiral Taverns all the time.'
Campaigners now plan to seek funding to buy the building and reopen it as a community-run music venue.
