An historic Dawley pub has been bought by Telford & Wrekin Council, who plan to build a road through its car park.
The Lord Hill, on Dawley High Street, has been sold to the borough council by Marston’s Brewery.
Councillor Eric Carter, cabinet member for regeneration, has revealed plans to use the car park for part of a new road infrastructure.
But the future of the pub building itself has not been revealed.
Paul Wolfe, of the Dawley History Group, hopes it will be a community facility.
He said: “I am pleased the council has seen fit to buy the building and hopefully there is going to be some discussion about its future in terms of conserving it and using it as a public facility. That would be very good.”
The Lord Hill has been a landmark for almost two centuries and provides the backdrop for the Captain Webb Memorial.
Last month a petition was set up to try and save the building which has been a licensed premises since 1818.
To date, the petition has clocked up around 300 signatures.
“Our main concern was that it would be demolished,” said Mr Wolfe. “It is a very old building dating back to 1818.
“I am not an architect but local people recognise the Lord Hill as being a really important building in Dawley. That is why we put a petition together in the first place.”
But Vic Tonks, Dawley borough councillor, said it should be knocked down.
“If the Lord Hill is not knocked down there has got to be a lot of money spent to refurbish it and that would put more on the tax payers,” he said.
“It will cut the High Street off if it stays, and traders won’t be very happy.”
Meanwhile, Councillor Carter told the Journal: “Telford & Wrekin Council has purchased the Lord Hill pub in Dawley to help facilitate plans to regenerate the centre of Dawley under the Borough Towns Initiative.
“The existing car park will be utilised as part of the new road infrastructure in the town but no decision has so far been taken on the future of the building itself.”