Heron Foods to open its second new store inside a former Doncaster pub this week

The Acacia Road store will open its doors at the former Cantley Lodge pub – also known as Palfreys Lodge – on Thursday.

It comes just weeks after the firm opened a branch in the former Lonsdale pub in Intake.

Plans for the store at the crime-ridden Cantley pub were first revealed more than two years ago.

Planning officers at City of Doncaster Council said the plans would bring a vacant building back into use and ‘restore economic activity’ at the site which ‘outweigh the loss of a currently unused community facility.’

The plans had the backing of ward councillors in the area. Councillor Nick Allen said he supported the application adding that Cantley would benefit from a retail store.

“I completely support this proposal for a change of use,” he said.

“To reiterate, some of the anti-social problems that have taken place in Cantley with this pub over the recent time have been a real nightmare for people.”

The former pub consistently hit the headlines for the wrong reasons over the past couple of years.

Back in 2017, three people were injured in a drive-by shooting. South Yorkshire Police said the incident was a ‘targeted attack’.

The force also sent its support to the council in the proposed development and said officers attended the pub on a number of occasions, including for ‘offences of violence towards staff and between customers’.

It added that cooperation from staff towards the attending officers ‘was lacking on most occasions’ and the incidents of crime and disorder were a factor in its closing.

The new Heron store in Intake ran into problems when a disabled woman was stung with a £100 parking charge for a 13-minute stay.

Christine Barker and her husband were hit with the charge when the dropped into the store at the junction of Sandringham Road and Zetland Road.

She said: “It is disgusting. We only went to have a look and get some bits.

"We only parked for 13 minutes. We parked just outside the shop because I am disabled.

"It’s not clear at all where you can and can’t park at all.”

She said she was told that at least twenty drivers have been fined so far.