From Jack Hughes

Sunday, 28 April 2013

I spoke to one of the bar staff there the other day and sadly, it seems that this is true. This is particularly bad news for the town's musicians and the local live music scene in general - since the demise of the Nutclough House a decade or so ago the town has been short of venues to see bands for free or cheaply, and this change of use won't help.

From Anne Bayliss (Hardman)

Monday, 6 May 2013

My great grandfather, John Cockcroft Hardman was the licensed victualler when the original inn stood and took over the new hotel when it re-opened. I believe it was given a facelift a couple of years ago and that the original front door, which had been bricked up, was re-opened. Can anyone tell me if the glass panel above that door survived? From the photo I have it looks like his name was etched onto that glass panel. I will be very sad if this 118 year old building is pulled down. It was after visiting the inn that I started on my family history research.

From Simon Hayles

Monday, 6 May 2013

Latest; I checked with a councillor and apparently no change of use has been applied for and is unlikely to be granted if it is, so I guess we can look forward to it re-opening soon as a pub.

I should hope so too given that it was jam-packed all weekend!

From Jack Hughes

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

I can only repeat what I was told by a barperson, namely that the building has been sold to a developer, who intends to turn it into flats. Beyond that I know naught, and no offence to our local councillors but they are not infallible. Also, can we please refer to the pub as 'The Hole In The Wall' - I find 'The Hole In T' Wall' both twee and grammatically inconsistent!

From Rob Blake

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

I was reading the thread concering the Hole int' wall with interest and it got me wondering if anybody knows what's happening with the Grove Inn at Brearley.

There was a short article in the HB Times a couple of months ago reporting that it is to re-open, but I've not heard anything since.

I live nearby and have a vested interest in seeing it re-open.

From Dave R

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Rob you may well be interested in this link then re The Grove.

The Grove is assumedly being converted into two homes.

From Rob Blake

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Hi Dave,

I've seen that link, but it referrs to the two cottages that were formely part of the brewery / pub.

The HB times article I mentioned featured a quote from Anthony J Turner (can't find it on-line now), that said something along the lines of 'the pub would be re-opening towards the end of the year'.

I'm starting to think that I dreamt it!

From Dave R

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

The photographs listed under the advert clearly show the bar area and list the property as comprising of games room, bar, gents toilets etc.
I can't see anything to suggest these are cottages, but will stand corrected if that is the case.

I thought I had seen something saying The Grove would reopen too, but like you cannot recall it.

'Bleedin Alf ' was one of my favourite landlords when I frequented the pub.

On the subject of pubs, when I was a lad, we had The Fox and Goose, the Bull and the Neptune before we even got into Hebden, nice steady stroll downhill it was too.

From Phil M

Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Hopefully the rumour that the Hole in T'Wall is changing into flats is only that, a rumour. I would assume (can anyone confirm?) that a change of use would need to be publically displayed and people would have the chance and ability to comment. Don't think this has happened yet so hopefully the Hole in T'Wall will live again...

Huge respect to the entire Antiks Roadshow crew for taking it over and showing what an asset the place can be for the town - real shame they had to leave - best the pub has ever been by a long way!!!

Regarding the Grove, I was told from someone in the pub business that it had been bought by Wetherspoons but again we deal in purely hearsay here so don't take it as anything else..

From Jack Hughes

Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Notices have recently appeared in the pub windows stating that the building has been acquired by tapwater.org (not an organisation promoting temperance, but a charity).

From Simon Hayles

Thursday, 9 May 2013

I saw those too. Though I like the idea of encouraging schoolchildren away from sugary drinks, I can't help wince at the irony of the premises they've chosen.

I again checked Calderdale's planning archive and no application has been made for the building since the late 80s. I just emailed them to make sure that planning is needed (and I'm pretty sure it is). Perhaps tapwater.org don't know the planning laws very well?

If planning confirms my suspicions I'll ask Tapwater if they're aware of the potential problem they'll have to face.

Thanks to Cllr Nigel Yorke for sending us this:

From Phil M

Thursday, 9 May 2013

In a statement they made on Facebook, apparantly they chose the pub due to the lack of office space in the Hebden Bridge area.

Also eluding to there being loads of pubs within 100m and the fact that the Old Gate is so successful shows 'pub life has changed and consumers demand more from the pub experience'.

Some interesting reasons to close it down and make it into offices.

So another of our historic pubs closes its doors..I for one will not be buying any of their expensive flasks (to put tap water in).

From Paul Rigg

Thursday, 9 May 2013

Just wondering which village they wish to maintain the look of.

I think the local Camra branch would oppose any change of use for the pub, and I have drawn this thread to their attention.

From Simon Hayles

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Latest from planning;

re: Hole in Wall Pub
"Hi, your e mail has been passed to our enforcement section. Please forward your full postal address as we do not accept anonymous complaints. The matter can then be investigated."

Address forwarded. Not sure my enquiry was a complaint though...

From Michael Smith

Thursday, 16 May 2013

Hi There all. This is my first post on HebWeb, but I can't think of a better time to take the plunge.

I'm trying to get in touch with people that want to prevent the beautiful pub that was the Hole, being turned into corporate offices. We have a very short time frame for this to occur and I'm most keen on organising an action group. I'm looking at arranging a meeting with "Tapwater" within two weeks, to put forward several ideas.

If anyone is interested please contact me ASAP on drmgsmith@gmail.com

Thanks to all,
Michael Smith

From Rob Blake

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

I'm not sure if they (tapwater) might be interested, but I happen to know that two large offices are about to become available in the Birchcliffe Centre. Although not as swish as the new town hall, the Birchcliffe has plentiful free parking and a nice quiet location tucked into the nutclough woods.

I'm sure it would make a perfect headquarters for any charity, and it is reasonably priced too.

The hole is one of the oldest pubs in Hebden and it would be a tragedy to see it turned into offices.

From Paul Rigg

Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Halifax Camra told me that we need sixteen people to petition Calderdale to get the pub listed as a community asset.

They will probably oppose any change of use

From Rob Blake

Friday, 31 May 2013

I'm wondering about this recent change in planning law - BBC News

Will this make it easier to convert the hole in the wall into offices?

From Phil M

Friday, 31 May 2013

Where do I sign?

Hole looks very sad at the moment, especially when you think how vibrant and successful it was just before 'tapwater property development' bought it..

From Nichola M

Friday, 31 May 2013

If we only need 16 people - can we get a petition going online?

From Tim B

Friday, 31 May 2013

Rob, in short, yes. As the purchaser of the Hole is apparently a property developer, I'm sure he is aware of this too!

From Simon Hayles

Friday, 31 May 2013

A petition was circulating on the last weekend the pub was open and had a good few signatures on it. I'll see if I can find out what happened to it.

I strongly agree that a bid should be made to Calderdale to designate the pub a community asset. 21 named individuals are required to do so.

I've contacted the guy in charge to ask exactly what we need to do - watch this space!

The planning laws have just changed but if I read them correctly the Hole will still require change of use if it has been used as a 'drinking establishment' within the last 2 years, which it has, thank goodness!

Still no word from planning but I expect they're having a pretty busy time just now...

From Michael Prior

Monday, 3 June 2013

Local residents may not be too keen on signing any petition as they may be glad not to have any more nights wrecked by persistent playing of very loud music very late.

From Phil M

Monday, 3 June 2013

Every local I have spoken to Michael has been very much against the Tapwater front moving in and turning the Hole into Offices so I'm not too sure you're correct there..

The Building is unique in Hebden Bridge and is a fantastic example of a Public House, built as a public house and should therefore be run as a public house and not as offices or as appartments...

From Peter Read

Thursday, 6 June 2013

So every building in the UK that was built as a church should be a church still? What about all the charity shops? Let's close them all and have our offal shops back.

From Phil M

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Difference being Peter, public houses have planning requirements to 'change use' to try and protect their status as community assets.
Changing a vibrant, historic and much loved pub into offices on the excuse that there are no other offices available in Hebden just does not ring true.. and is a real shame..

From Pedro de Wit

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Just one question... if it was a vibrant and much loved pub why did it close? It obviously wasn't loved enough... I agree that a pub can be an asset to a community but we can't preserve every pub just because it once was a flourishing business. If there is a market for more pubs I am sure someone will find a place to open one. It is the same story with empty mills. People don't want developers to get their hands on them but fail to come up with a valid alternative.

From Gary W

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

The answer to your question Pedro, is that the Hole was a tied pub rather than a free house. This meant that customers and successive tenants were repeatedly ripped off by artificially high rents prices and were also forced to buy their beer at sky high prices. If ever the pub started doing well, the rents were hiked up, leaving tenants wanting to move on to another pub. I too agree that this is a community asset, and the pub would maybe thrive if taken on as a free house.

From Rob Blake

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

I think anybody who frequented the pub during the last few months when the nice people from Nelson's Wine bar were running it would agree that it was indeed a thriving and welcoming spot. The decor and the wood burning stoves gave the place a lovely ambiance and there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that it would thrive again as a pub given the opportunity to do so. It also has a great location next to the old bridge and is well situated for the tourist trade.

Sacrificing this purpose built pub in the centre of town when there is plenty of empty office space available makes no sense at all.

From Jenny Greenwood

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Just having a catch up after not having much of a look at HebWeb for a while. So does anybody know what has happened or is happening now??

From John Nesbitt

Tuesday, 2 July 2013

An application to have the pub listed as an asset of community value is being submitted to Calderdale Council in the next few days on behalf of a newly formed group, Friends of the Hole in the Wall. Although the pub has been sold, a community listing would be a material consideration in any planning application for a change of use - though none has yet been received by the council and the pub's windows remain covered in newspapers. All those who registered their concern about the pub's future on the last weekend of its opening will be contacted soon. An email address will be posted here shortly for anyone else who wants to help us save a beautiful old pub which has been guarding Hebden's packhorse bridge in one guise or another since the 17th century.

From Helen Lasham

Tuesday, 6 August 2013

I live round the corner and saw that it had been advertising a business who's role seems to be to get children to drink water from Taps and to sell water containers to enable us to drink more water. Is that not happening now.

It's an eyesore with the newspapers up at the windows. I believe the drains underneath the property need extensive (expensive) work doing on them.

Perhaps the building could be given to the soup dragon or used to manage a local l.e t.s project which would help local people. Hope it gets utilised soon. You only have to look across the road to see what happens if a lovely old building is neglected for too long!