Over Christmas, I spotted two surveyors outside the Great Eastern with measuring equipment taking readings. I didn't approach them at that time. This Wednesday (24th Feb), a colleague of mine was walking past the former Pub when a group of people came out of the door. She politely asked them what they had been doing inside, and was given the gleeful reply; "Its being demolished love, for housing". !!!!
Eeek! Here we go again!! Cllr Steve Niblock has already checked, and as yet there is no new planning application in so we are none the wiser as to who these people are. The building is not listed nor is it protected in any other way, so we are deeply concerned that it could be lost. The previous planning application for housing on the site 18 months ago was rejected by Wirral Council as being too bland for such an important site. To our knowledge, the previous application's rejection was not contested/appealed.
It would be a tragedy if the Great Eastern should be lost, as it is the only distinctive building of its type on the eastern side of the bypass in this area. I have already asked about whether we can apply to have the Great Eastern listed, but have been told by some planning colleagues of mine (where I work in Liverpool City Council) that it is unlikely that we would be successful in getting it listed. Apparently we would have stood more of a chance if the original artefacts stripped from the Great Eastern ship and put into the Pub in the 1860s were still there, but they have long since gone - unfortunately.
I have just put together a new online petition just for it. You can find it at
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savethegreateastern/I am going to try to get the pub listed, but I need more info for the letter to the DCMS. Does anyone know who currently owns the pub?