Greater Manchester pub dating back to the 1700s is set for a major refurbishment

A pub dating back to the 1700s is set for a major makeover. The Grade II listed Whitesmiths Arms in Wigan town center is currently closed and, according to the complainant, Valiant Pub Company, “looks tired and run down”.

Planning officers at Wigan Town Hall have given the go-ahead for the applicant to invest in the pub “bringing the building back to life”. Their report says the three-storey property on the corner of Standishgate and Northway has residential flats on the first and second floors, with the pub and its outdoor area on the ground floor.

It is in the Dicconson Conservation Area. There were no objections to the application.

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Valiant will now be able to make internal changes, including new tiling in the dining area, new seating, brick slips to the chimney breast, re-fitting the coffee table, a new counter section with wooden screens and a new brass bar . External works will include Indian stone paving, fixed composite seating and planters, an outdoor wooden seating area, beer garden lighting and LED floodlights.

Officers report that changes have been made to the plans following consultation with the town hall’s conservation officer.

It concluded: “The proposed changes will result in a low level of harm to the listed building. However, there is a clear public benefit arising from the use of the currently closed public house that outweighs the level of harm caused.”