Derelict vacant pub primed for demolition is sold

A former pub which fell into disrepair after it closed 20 years ago has been sold.

The Bell and Bear in Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent, was due to be auctioned off on Thursday and was listed with a guide price of £365,000 by property firm Bond Wolfe.

But the company confirmed on its website that the Edwardian building on Snow Hill, along with adjacent premises, had sold ahead of the auction for an undisclosed amount.

It was advertised as a "freehold development opportunity", with a planning application proposing to turn the site into a mixed-use development yet to be determined by the city council.

The plans, which were submitted by Made Architecture in April 2025, would see the site transformed into 41 homes and three shops.

The homes would include a mix of one and two-bedroom flats, while retail units would be based on the ground floor.

The application said the plans "have been designed to fit into the existing context of the site".

"The proposal is to positively contribute to the area, enhancing the character of the street scene and providing much needed high-quality accommodation and retail units," it added.

The pub, which was built in the early 20th Century, closed in 2006 and has been left boarded up ever since.

Plans to demolish the site and the adjacent former florist were approved in 2023.

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