Work has started to demolish a North Staffordshire hotel to make way for a new housing estate. 

The historic Clayton Lodge had been shut since 2020 due to Covid and a year later a fire ripped through the historic hotel.

However, plans were approved to transform the derelict building into a 48-home estate this year and now demolition has finally started.

The controversial plans were met with 30 objections by local members of the public complaining of increased traffic, more pressure on local infrastructure and loss of privacy for families on Kingsdown Mews.

Local resident Eric Turner called it a sad day and called the former hotel a huge piece of history.

The 87 year old said: "It was allowed to fall into disrepair and ultimately destroyed by fire. It was a huge piece of history. The lodge was the home of the manager of the North Stafford Hotel way back.

"It is a large piece of history, we have managed to save some old trees. The housing estate will clean up a great mess but it is a pity that the mess has lost us a lot of history and now even the name doesn't reflect the history. It is a sad time."

Clayton Lodge was closed in 2020 due to Covid and in 2021, the building was harmed by a fire (Google).

The hotel faced a troubled for years, five years ago the borough council suspended the hotel licence after an investigation into child sexual exploitation, drug-taking, underage drinking and fighting there.

Clayton Road resident Nathanil Berry, 47 said: "It needed doing, it couldn't have stayed how it was, it was in a state of disrepair and it had illegal raves and people trespassing over there all the time.

"The only bit on fire was the listed part which is a shame, especially the way it ended up. It was one of the main hotels but times have moved on and something had to be done about it."

READ MORE: Firefighters tackle accidental blaze at property on busy Stoke-on-Trent road 

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