Becconsall to be demolished?

The closed down Becconsall in Hesketh Bank, which I have written about several times previously, is under risk of demolition within the next couple of weeks. The developers have knocked down most of the mature trees on the site and have posted a Notice of Prior Application to demolish the building later in December, without a Planning Application, and even though they don't exclusively own the land. 

The campaigners, led by Mrs Mc and her daughter Una, are trying to find out exactly how this has come about so suddenly with no prior warning. They don't want the large site simply to be turned into yet another housing development while the village has no communal amenities - pub, meeting place, etc - at all. Una is contacting the entrepreneur who had expressed an interest in reopening the pub to see where he or she stands on this matter.

Altogether, this is a worrying development.