A much-loved former pub and music venue in Burton which has stood empty for nearly three years is to be bulldozed to make way for a car park.
The Wetmore Whistle, in Wetmore Road, is set to be torn down after a plan by bus firm Midland Classic to expand its neighbouring car park was drawn up.
Midland Classic, which operates at the former Arriva bus depot next to the former pub, submitted plans to East Staffordshire Borough Council seeking permission to demolish the premises and increase its own car park facilities.
It is not yet known when demolition will begin, but Keith Myatt, head of business development at Midland Classic, said: "Work will start soon at the former Wetmore Whistle public house."
It will mean an increase of car parking from 16 spaces to 31. It comes five months after the Burton branch of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK scrapped plans to hold meetings, prayers and religious ceremonies at the pub after it sparked criticism over the lack of parking.
Midland Classic commercial director John Mitcheson previously told the Burton Mail that the pub had been closed for a lengthy period, and that its demolition and clearance of the site would help facilitate the expansion of the business.
The bus company, whose premises adjoin the site, said it had found its operations increasingly compromised by a lack of space for bus/car parking.
A report to the council as part of the submission also revealed Midland Classic was experiencing difficulties operating from its existing premises with "conflicts" between buses, cars and pedestrians on the site.
The report said the area was well-served with alternative pubs, including The Great Northern 700m from the application site. The Tower Brewery is located in Glensyl Way approximately 150m to the north-west of the site and The Burton Bridge Brewery, in Horninglow Street, is 600m from the site.
Apart from plans to convert the pub into a place of worship which was scrapped, no other interest had been shown in the site, which had been empty since February 2015.
The report adds that the building is falling into a state of disrepair both internally and externally, and would require significant investment to bring it back into use.
