Sandwell: five pubs in West Brom, Smethwick, Wednesbury and Rowley Regis that will be lost forever

Many of the borough’s former bustling pubs have now been reduced to eyesores after lying empty for years – and even decades – with most showing little to no sign of improving soon.

However, while many have come and gone, and reduced to rubble, there have been plans revealed in the last 12 months that show that while many of the long-gone watering holes will never see pints pulled again, there is a glimmer of hope for some of the buildings to see a bit of life again.

Halfway House, Old Meeting Street, West Bromwich

The former Halfway House pub in Old Meeting Street, West Bromwich, will be refashioned and turned into new flats as part of plans by Birmingham-based developer KB1 Homes.

The plans, which were approved by Sandwell Council in May, include building a two-storey extension and converting the former pub into nine one-bed flats.

The developer said it was hoping to emulate the work carried out at a nearby former pub, the New Talbot in Hill Top, which was converted into nine flats after closing down.

Waggon and Horses, Cambridge Road, Smethwick

The empty and crumbling former Waggon and Horses in Smethwick will finally be flattened to make way for 11 new flats after its demolition was approved by Sandwell councillors in June.

The council approved plans to demolish the hole-filled building in 2022 but the work was never carried out. The eyesore pub had been the subject of “numerous” complaints over the years and its owner was served with an untidy land notice.

The crumbling pub was deemed not only a risk to patrons but passers-by and was eventually fenced off in 2021. Before its forced closure, the pub was a favoured haunt of West Bromwich Albion supporters.

An inspection carried out by the council before the order was served found dry and wet rot throughout the building with a large leaking hole in the roof. West Midlands Fire Service, which had raised concerns about the “dangerous condition” of the building in January 2020, accused the pub’s owners of “aggression and abuse” when refusing officers entry to inspect the crumbling building.

Friar Park Inn, Crankhall Lane, Wednesbury

The former Friar Park Inn in will be knocked down and replaced with 14 new flats and a shop under plans by developer SEP Properties.

The three-storey building includes space for a ground floor shop and 35 parking spaces.

The pub was sold to SEP Properties for £495,000 in 2022 and the developer put forward plans to demolish the former pub shortly after.

Cock Inn, Dudley Road, Rowley Regis

Work to convert the former Cock Inn pub in Rowley Regis into new houses finally moved forward this summer after sitting empty for years.

The former troubled pub is being converted into three new homes after plans were backed by Sandwell Council in 2022.

The owners of the pub announced in 2021 they had been forced to close the Cock Inn after a string of incidents – including violent attacks from thugs and fly-tipping – and put forward plans to transform the watering hole into homes.

Sandwell Council approved a plan to build two three-bed homes on a patch of grass in front of the pub in March 2019. A separate plan to build an extension and convert the former pub into nine flats was approved in May 2021.

Old Bulls Head, Dudley Road, Rowley Regis

The eyesore Bulls Head pub on the corner of Dudley Road and St Giles Avenue in Rowley Regis is set to be transformed and re-open as new retail units according to plans submitted to Sandwell Council.

The application by Muhammad Abdul Hemin shows the former pub would be split up into four units with extra spaces added to create a bigger 19-space car park.

The building was hit by fire in 2020, which forced the pub to close for a fortnight, and in 2021 when several fires were discovered by the emergency services after the pub had shut down.