Retaining a derelict former pub standing in the way of a housing scheme could cost more than £1 million, planning officers say.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is proposing to demolish the former Harry Ramjams in Shelton to make way for a development of up to 141 homes on the wider Pyenest Street site.

The demolition is being opposed by the council's heritage officer, who says that the authority has not adequately demonstrated a 'clear and convincing justification' for bulldozing the building.

While Harry Ramjams, previously The Sneyd Arms, is not itself a recognised heritage asset, it sits within the Caldon Canal conservation area, meaning its demolition requires full planning permission.

A report to the planning committee says that restoring the building would be difficult due to its poor condition, while leaving it standing would result in 10 fewer homes being built at Pyenest Street.

This would impact on the financial viability of the scheme, which is already dependent on the council securing £10 million of grant funding.

The report concludes: "The cumulative impact of the above factors results in a position whereby retaining (and converting) Harry Ramjams would, based on the information provided, cost approximately £1.1m.

"This figure, however, does not include the broader financial impact of redesign; programme implications and the loss of approximately 10 dwellings identified in the 'alternative' option.

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"The applicant asserts that the funding cannot and should not be used to absorb the abnormal costs associated with retaining and converting Harry Ramjams when a scheme with much wider public benefit can be delivered if the loss of the building (and harm arising) is deemed to be acceptable within the context of the national planning policy framework's public benefit test."

The city council has been looking to redevelop the fly-tipping-plagued Pyenest Street site for years, and Homes England has identified it as a 'regeneration priority'.

Grant funding of £75,000 has been secured to support the council's bid for £10 million from Homes England, and according to the report, negotiations are continuing 'in a very positive vein'.

But planning permission for the site must be in place before a formal bid can be submitted. The application submitted by the council seeks full permission for the demolition of Harry Ramjams, a canalside warehouse and other buildings, as well as outline permission for up to 141 homes.

Vehicular access to the homes would be via Howard Place, and Shelton New Road would be permanently closed, with traffic diverted onto Shearer Street and Bedford Road.

Detailed plans for the development will be submitted at a later date, but it is envisaged that the homes will be a mix of houses and flats.

Planning committee members will be asked to approve the current application, including the proposed demolitions, at their meeting on Wednesday.

The report to the committee states that Harry Ramjams has 'deteriorated quite significantly' since closing years ago, and the building was damaged further when it was hit by a car in 2024.

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In her response to the application, heritage officer Jane Corfield notes that the pub would have been retained under previously approved plans.

She says that retaining Harry Ramjams and the warehouse 'would not substantially affect the layout or the provision of most of the housing' and that 'it is not yet clear in this application why the heritage buildings could not be retained and repurposed'.

Planning officers, who have recommended the application for approval. accept that the demolition of the conservation area buildings would result in 'less than substantial harm'. But they say this would not outweigh the 'signficant' benefits of delivering 141 homes through public funding.