An old Newport pub is to be turned into a cafe, bar and flats after permission for the development was granted by the city council. Plans for the Church House Inn at Stow Hill, formerly known as the Six Bells, were submitted last summer to transform the dilapidated building into a “truly outstanding” community space.
The once-popular pub has been empty for nine years after plans by Newport Cathedral to turn it into a community-focused facility failed to materialise. Cheryl Davies and Melanie Duggan won ownership of the building at auction last year and have set bold plans in motion to reinvent the site, submitted through LRJ Planning Ltd.
The development will be split into sections including five apartments. Flat one will have one bedroom on the ground floor, flat two will be situated on the first and second floors and will have two bedrooms, and flat three will be a one-bedroom flat on the first floor. Flat four will be a two-bedroom flat with access to a rear roof garden, and flat five will be located on the second floor and have two bedrooms.
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The applicants propose to make the site a car-free development, with a bike store along with a bin and recycling storage area at the back of the property. This drew some criticism from neighbours who said they already struggle for parking in the area. Two neighbours also objected to the proposals due to noise concerns.
The new owners propose the planned cafe and bar below the apartments will open from 8am until 11pm from Monday to Thursday, until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and from 10am until 11pm on Sunday. The application reads: “At the heart of the proposal is to ensure a vibrant reuse of the building that has been vacant for 10 years. In that period it has become run down and a target for anti-social behaviour. The applicant seeks to develop the site to improve the condition of the property, which would benefit the public by adding a sense of place and adding to the amenity of the nearby properties – and to take the opportunity to create a new development which is truly outstanding and which significantly enhances its immediate setting."
Newport council’s planning committee approved the plans provided a number of conditions were met by the owners. These conditions included ensuring the cafe and bar closes at 11pm each evening, and requiring the applicants to provide further details of the cycle storage area to encourage active and sustainable travel.
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