A ‘LANDMARK’ is disappearing as a derelict former pub and restaurant is being demolished.
What was the Bull’s Head at Grains Bar, on the corner of Ripponden Road and Buckstones Road and on the border of Saddleworth and Shaw, is now no more after bulldozers moved on to the site.
Planning permission was granted by Oldham Council in February 2023 to replace it with three properties.
Now work is underway, meaning the dilapidated structure is being brought down, with work scheduled to last about two weeks.
Each house will have four bedrooms and three bathrooms, and a parking area would include eight spaces, with enough space for turning and entry and exit on to Ripponden Road.
Documents supporting the application by Wardle Properties spelled out why it was needed.
They stated: “The site as a whole is currently in a state unbefitting the otherwise picturesque character of this rural, residential area and the applicant’s intention to redevelop the site will vastly improve the appearance of the site and complement existing residential development in the immediate area.
“By allowing the demolition and replacement with a more modern, aesthetic building this can only bring about positive enhancement of the green belt, protecting its vast swaths of openness beyond the site.”
After being a pub, the building became Vamasaki restaurant in 2008. It was also known as the Blue Pearl Indian restaurant.