Dead White Lion?

The owner of The White Lion, Hankelow, has submitted a planning application to Cheshire East for the public house to be demolished and replaced with five detached houses (Ref: 16/3664N).

The White Lion, opposite the village green, has been the focal point for Hankelow, both as a building and a social centre for over 200 years.

The public house first appeared as a beer shop owned by Benjamin Penlington on the 1836-51 Tithe Map and gained a brush with notoriety by being referenced in the 1812 murder of George Morrey. By 1910 the White Lion was the only public house in the village.

In recent years, the White Lion has weathered its way through several landlords and iterations, becoming the Hankelow Cottage Indian Restaurant between 2010 and 2012, but, under the management of Peter Heywood between 2013 and 2015, the White Lion gained two awards and was establishing a reputation as a good pub with food, well supported by the local community. Sadly, the pub closed suddenly in January 2016.

Perhaps the White Lion can still be salvaged. Successful community owned co-operative pubs, like the Hinds Head, Norton-in-Hales, are increasing in number as their value in maintaining social bonds within local communities is recognised.

Indeed, the 'Pub as a Hub' is acknowledged by the government who, as recently as 2015, stated that pubs play a 'crucial role at the heart of our communities' when awarding financial support to the Plunkett Foundation, an organisation that help pubs diversify to offer a wide range of community focussed services and provides help for local residents to buy and run co-operative pubs.

Hankelow Parish Council has called an open meeting for parishioners, and other interested parties, on Monday 15th August at 7:30p.m. in the Hankelow Chapel Community Room. There will be two areas for discussion:

• For Hankelow parishioners to advise the Parish Council whether they should support or oppose the application for demolition of the White Lion
• Provide a forum to discuss if there is sufficient interest in developing a community based co-operative proposal to buy and run the White Lion

AudlemOnline adds: Our apologies to Colin for not using his suggested title to this story "Has time run out for White Lion". It's our experience over recent years that our alternative will double or even treble readership.

And if anyone was afraid a lion was in the area, even more humble apologies!

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