Listed city Sam Smith pub to undergo refurbishment

A landmark pub in Leeds city centre is set for refurbishment works after it was re-opened to customers in August.

Scaffolding has been fixed around the Grade II listed Old Red Lion, a Samuel Smith's bar on Meadow Lane.

The Tadcaster-based brewery applied to Leeds City Council for listed building consent for work on the building.

A design report said maintenance was needed on timber windows, external doors and building render to preserve the site.

The building, near the Adelphi pub and Aire Park redevelopment scheme, is listed by Historic England as a public house and shop, dating back to the early 19th Century, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The heritage organisation said small rooms flanked the entrance passage to the main bar, which was refitted in the late 1980s.

The Old Red Lion is a number of Samuel Smith pubs the chain have reopened following the death of owner Humphrey Smith aged 81, in July.

A listed building application is being considered by council planners and is out for consultation until October 12.

The report added that "the proposed works are traditional and sympathetic in nature and will not have a detrimental effect on the appearance of the building."

The pub's management confirmed on its social media page that the venue was still operating during the renovation work.

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