A HERITAGE charity says it “beggars belief” that Sheffield Council demolished a much-loved building “by mistake”.

It came after Sheffield Council published the result of an independent investigation into the demolition of Market Town pub, one of the city's oldest.

It was due to be knocked down in January, but the council agreed a temporary halt giving heritage groups a deadline of under 24 hours.

The council initially said the building, which shut in 2006, had collapsed due to its fragility, but later confirmed contractors were told in "error" to resume demolition.

A HERITAGE charity says it “beggars belief” that Sheffield Council demolished a much-loved building “by mistake”. It came after Sheffield Council published the result of an independent investigation into the demolition of Market Town pub, one of the city's oldest.

placeholder image — A HERITAGE charity says it “beggars belief” that Sheffield Council demolished a much-loved building “by mistake”. It came after Sheffield Council published the result of an independent investigation into the demolition of Market Town pub, one of the city's oldest.

An investigation has now blamed “unintentional errors in communication” between the council, contractor and stakeholders.

It found no evidence suggesting a deliberate cover up. No formal action is being taken against any “key individual”.

The investigation was satisfied that "there was nothing else that could have been done to have saved the building” and “demolition was the only way forward”.

The report won't be published in full, the council said, in line with its “obligations as an employer on internal HR matters relating to individual members of staff".

However, heritage groups are questioning how the report, apparently written by an HR consultancy, not experts in buildings or engineering, concludes that demolition was inevitable. They also weren’t consulted on the report and have only seen the executive summary the council has published.

Henrietta Billings, director of heritage charity SAVE, said: “That this important and much-loved piece of Sheffield’s history could be demolished “by mistake” beggars belief. Following an urgent SOS call from local campaigners, SAVE offered to send a specialist heritage engineer at our own expense to assess the structural condition of the Market Tavern – something which was never fully established.

"Yet, minutes after our offer, the order to demolish was given by a member of staff without the knowledge of senior officers.”

A spokesperson for Hallamshire Historic Buildings (HHB) expressed disappointment at the “continuing lack of transparency”. HHB said the summary omits that the offer of help was passed to the senior council officer involved, in person, at 11.23am ahead of the noon deadline.

HHB said: “We only get to see a filtered summary of a report and one where the council admits to some errors but buries many others.

“Sheffield Council have tried to use a report, that we don't get to see, to support a view that 'the building should have been demolished anyway'. Given that the building was demolished once the offer of a second opinion was received (something council officers expressly denied until video evidence contradicted them) we will never get that second opinion. "