AN historic pub in the heart of Penketh is the target of a bold planning application to transform the site into a residential development.

The Sportsmans Arms, on Warrington Road, closed in 2017, despite a lengthy campaign by residents to halt its closure.

Records of the pub date back to 1846, and it will be a familiar sight to many.

Warrington Guardian: The pub has stood on the site for more than 150 yearsThe pub has stood on the site for more than 150 years (Image: Newsquest)

Over a number of years, various planning applications have been submitted to transform the disused site, but none have gone forward.

In the past, they have included plans for a new supermarket, as well as numerous housing plans.

The latest development to take place was the land being listed on the market in August 2022, for a sum in the region of £800,000.

Plans to construct 16 new homes on the site had previously been approved, but later fell through when the developers pulled out of the project.

Warrington Guardian: The pub closed in 2017The pub closed in 2017 (Image: Maps)

Now, the latest planning application has been submitted for the land, which - if approved - will see the historic pub levelled to make way for a number of new apartments.

The developers, Churchill Retirement Living, have proposed demolishing the Sportsmans Arms to make way for 53 retirement living apartments.

These plans include a lodge manager's office, and a reception area, as well as communal facilities and guest suites.

It is expected that the development will also include parking areas, and landscaping efforts on the site, too.

Warrington Guardian: The pub could be bulldozed to make way for more than 50 new apartmentsThe pub could be bulldozed to make way for more than 50 new apartments (Image: Newsquest)

Planning documents are limited at this time, but the developers' website already has a link open to enquire about living at the yet-to-be-approved site.

The website says: "Our developments have been carefully designed to make life easier, leaving you free to enjoy your retirement.

"All apartments are completely self-contained with their own front door, providing you with privacy and peace and quiet when you want it. There is a choice of one and two bedroom apartments and they may all vary slightly when it comes to dimensions and position of rooms."

The application is currently under consideration by Warrington Borough Council, and a decision is due by Thursday, April 27.