I, LIKE countless other Sale residents, was extremely disappointed to read that the Sale Hotel is to be demolished.

However, I would like to remind your readers of the reasons for closure.

The building failed to attract enough patrons to remain a viable business as a public house.

This means that the residents currently campaigning to keep the Sale Hotel open might also be those who chose to stop frequenting its bar.

The pub's decline appeared to be slow and painful, with numbers falling gradually over a two-year period. This would suggest a case of too little, too late.

If we accept that the building is not viable as a public house, apartments must surely be the alternative. This means that campaigners should direct their efforts towards ensuring future developments retain the building's present character.

It is completely unrealistic to expect English Heritage to list a building that has undergone such extensive architectural changes.

The passionate support seen over the past few weeks is commendable. However, campaigners should be urged to keep a cool head around the issue. Whether a victim of the recession or of local spending trends, it is inevitable that the Sale Hotel must undergo significant change to survive in any state at all.

Jack Battersby, Northenden Road, Sale