Anger at backing for pub conversion

Conservation bodies urged Bradford councillors to reject a controversial plan to convert the disused Cock and Bottle into a restaurant but the scheme was passed yesterday by a planning committee.

The council’s conservation expert said the application should be rejected, a view echoed by the Campaign for Real Ale and the Victorian Society.

Campaigners are hoping the decision will be referred to the Secretary of State for a public inquiry. English Heritage is considering asking the council to refer the decision to a minister.

Dale Ingram, a heritage specialist with Camra, called the committee’s decision “an absolute travesty”, saying it “really brings the planning system into disrepute” because the scheme would cause significant harm to a heritage asset. The council previously acknowledged some internal alterations had been carried out without permission. A council report argued that a new use would save some features.