THE owner of an 18th century pub with connections to the Luddites has been refused permission to pull it down to make way for housing.

The Shears Inn at Hightown in Liversedge, a meeting place during the Luddite rebellion in 1812, was described as a “spectacularly important” piece of local history.

Owner Andrew Mitchell said the pub on the A649 Halifax Road, was no longer viable. He applied to Kirklees Council to bulldoze the building and to replace it with four houses.

The proposed scheme proved hugely controversial, and the Council received 433 objections to the application.

The application was refused on Tuesday, but Mr Mitchell said there seemed to be little local interest in any locals taking on the pub.

There was some sympathy for Mr Mitchell’s situation by members of Kirklees Council’s Heavy Woollen Planning Sub-Committee in Tuesday with Councillor Graham Turner (Lab, Denby Dale) suggesting better-designed houses might find favour as opposed to the current “shabby” pub.

Derelict pub could be flattened to make way for shops and flats

However others argued that the Shears should be retained and re-purposed, possibly as housing, and not knocked down.

Councillor John Lawson (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton) described it as “spectacularly important” and warned: “Do not underestimate the importance of this building for the local population.”

There was also calls for the building, which dates from 1773, to be listed.

The discussion over the site included the possibility that listing old buildings occasionally leads to them being neglected, as it is the responsibility of the owners – not the local authority – to maintain them.

Asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service for a comment on the pub and his plans, Mr Mitchell said: “There’s been a mountain of interest about the Shears.

“I just wish people would ask themselves, before voicing their opinions, how much support as a community they have given to their local pubs.

“The government have also announced recently that there is funding available for communities to purchase local pubs, [but] not one solitary person has shown an interest, which I believe tells its own story.”

Among those who supported the retention of the pub was Michelle Grainger-Mead (Con, Liversedge and Gomersal), who said: “I don’t think four houses warrants losing such an iconic building.”

And, commenting in advance of the meeting, her ward colleague Clr David Hall said: “I do think that, with imagination, a redevelopment scheme could be brought forward which incorporates the existing building – whether as a residence or a business.

“I would favour that approach, as there is strong local feeling that a building of this importance to local history should not be lost.”

The Luddites were pre-industrial textile workers who felt their livelihoods were threatened by increasing mechanisation.

A group gathered in the pub in April 1812 before ambushing wagons carrying new machinery.

The ringleaders were later hanged.

The committee voted unanimously to refuse permission to demolish the Shears.