Bid to create apartments above Halifax town centre pub

Matthew Gledhill is seeking listed building consent to convert the upper floors of former hotel space at The Old Cock in Halifax town centre into seven apartments and five bed-sitting rooms.

The building is a Grade II listed public house dating from the 17th century, says a supporting statement by agents WHP ARCHITECTURE submitted with the application.

Development will ensure the scale of the building will not be altered by the plans and its appearance will be unchanged, says the statement.

Surviving 17th century interior features will be preserved and incorporated into the proposed layouts without modification.

The statement says extensive alterations and extensions have, to a large extent, concealed the form of the original building.

The proposed layout of the apartments responds to constraints on the site which include the location of existing entrance and exit points, existing window openings and preservation of all listed fabric and surviving features, says the document.

The building’s listing describes The Old Cock Inn as “early 17th century, very much altered” and lists some 17th century, 18th century and 19th century features which remain.

The Old Cock is one of Halifax’s oldest inns and started off life as a meeting place which led to the formation of the Halifax Permanent Building and Investment Society, which later became the Halifax Building Society - now the Halifax bank.

The Old Cock was also where the Cragg Vale Coiners met and where their leader, “King” David Hartley, was arrested in 1769 and later hanged in York, says the pub's website.

The application, number 21/01119/LBC, can be viewed on the council’s planning portal.