THE battle to save Halesowen's Maypole pub from being bulldozed and replaced with a Co-op supermarket has been given a blow.

Council taxpayers will now have to pay the costs of New River Retail after the company won an appeal at the Planning Inspectorate against Dudley Council's refusal of planning permission for developments at the Maypole, Bassange Road, the Ashwood Inn, Wordsley and the Summerhouse, Tipton.

All three proposals were refused by members of Dudley Council’s Development Control Committee in September and October 2015, despite being recommended for approval by the council’s professional officers.

In the cases of the Maypole, which involves the demolition of the existing pub and the Ashwood, which involves the retention of the pub and the construction of the new store on surplus land, the inspector concluded: “The development would not harm the vitality or viability of the area or result in any harm to highway safety or neighbours’ living conditions.”

The inspector also highlighted the potential benefits of the two proposals, including well-located retail facilities accessible by foot, car and public transport as well as a boost to the local economy, creating 20 jobs at each location.

In reaching his decisions, the inspector also concluded that Dudley Council had “behaved unreasonably” in refusing planning permission and as a result “prevented or delayed development that should clearly have been permitted.”

Allan Lockhart, property director at NewRiver said: “As the inspector has clearly stated in two of these cases, the appeals should not have been necessary and we will now be seeking recovery of tens of thousands of pounds of our costs, which ultimately are met by local council tax payers in Dudley.

"In the other case, he also decided, just as Dudley Council’s own officers had done, that the proposal could be supported in planning terms.”

He added: “It was regrettable that we had no other option other than to appeal the Council’s refusals of these wholly acceptable and positive retail-led regeneration proposals. Our approach nationwide is always to foster good working relationships with the councils in whose areas we invest.

"We aim to achieve this in Dudley going forward.”

Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, Dudley Council's cabinet member for planning and economic development, said: “We are obviously disappointed to lose the three appeals but accept the judgment.

"Costs have been awarded to New River Retail on two of the applications – The Ashwood Inn and The Maypole – and we are waiting to hear from them.”