A HEREFORDSHIRE pub once raided by counter-terrorism police has been put up for sale.

The Riverside Inn in Ross-on-Wye has been closed for some years, and is now heading to auction with agents Savills.

The pub, which is listed with a guide price of £130,000, is described as being of interest to occupiers and developers, and is being sold by order of LPA receivers.

It will be offered for auction on Wednesday, May 29.

The agents said the vacant two-storey pub offers a "substantial" freehold building close to the river Wye and overlooking parkland, and that it could have development potential, subject to consents.

The Wye Street pub hit the headlines in November 2020, when police confirmed a search was being carried out at the property as part of an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing South East.

CTPSE said at the time that the search was in relation to the arrest of a 43-year-old man from Gloucestershire on suspicion of terrorism offences and that there was no wider risk to the public.

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There were plans in 2016 to re-open the Riverside while also building three homes on its car park.

But Herefordshire Council turned down the scheme for the two-bedroom homes and two three-bedroom homes.

Planners at the time said the application would “diminish the viability of a community facility and economic resource without adequate justification or marketing and lead to that facility being at a long-term risk, restricting its capacity, functionality and ability to expand and diversify”.

They said the new homes would affect the viability of the pub,and that there was no need to build homes in a vulnerable flood zone.

And concerns about the state of the pub were raised in 2018 at a meeting of Ross Town Council.

Resident Joyce Thomas said at that time that the pub was in an "appalling condition".

"It is in a dilapidated state. It has been vandalised. People live in it, I believe," she said.

“This was once a very desirable restaurant in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

"It is the first dwelling that tourists see as they enter Wye Street from Wilton Bridge. 

“There is the beautiful River Wye overshadowed by this very bad, neglected property."

Caroline Utting, chairman of the town’s planning committee at the time, said: “I agree with you wholeheartedly and everything you have said about the Riverside Inn.” 

She said the planning committee had contacted Herefordshire Council planning department about the eyesore. 

Councillor Richard Mayo said it had been the subject of enforcement action to remove rubbish from outside.