The only pub in a Nottinghamshire village could soon be controversially demolished and replaced with new houses. The Gardeners Inn, in Cossall, near Ilkeston, was closed in February this year, with plans submitted to knock it down and build five detached houses.
Former landlady Sue Maxwell, who had run The Gardeners Inn since 2015, found out the pub had been sold to two new landlords, who intended on redeveloping the site, in July 2021. After her lease expired in February this year the pub was fenced off and boarded up.
This application was first brought before Broxtowe Borough Council's planning committee on September 7 with a recommendation to refuse the application. Councillors deferred making a decision on the application to provide local residents the opportunity to buy the pub and for the applicant to submit a viability assessment and a coal mining risk assessment.
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But after no offers were made to buy the pub by third parties and the applicant provided additional documents to justify its demolition, planning officers have recommended that Broxtowe Borough Council councillors approve the plans at the next planning committee meeting on December 7. A planning officer previously said a 'significantly high number' of objections had been raised, with the pub serving as a local community facility.
The Gardeners Inn was previously listed as an asset of community value, status which means it was given additional protection against development. But in 2021 it was removed from the list as it was judged that there was no evidence of realistic continued use as a pub.
In a report submitted ahead of the Broxtowe Borough Council planning committee, a planning officer said: "The benefits of the scheme are that the proposal would provide new housing for the borough in a sustainable location; and would provide a good standard of living for the future occupiers.
"The negatives of the scheme are that the proposal would result in the loss of an existing public house which serves as a wider community facility. The proposed development would help to enhance the character and appearance of the locality by redeveloping a boarded up closed public house.
"The proposed scheme has been designed to ensure there is no significant impact in terms of any potential overlooking, overbearing or overshadowing impact on any neighbouring properties whilst providing an acceptable standard of amenity for future occupiers. On balance, it is considered that any potential concerns would be outweighed by the benefits of the scheme, which is considered to be in accordance with the policies contained within the development plan. This is given significant weight."
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