A pub in south Bristol will be converted into flats despite the council refusing planning permission last year. The Windmill in Bedminster, on Windmill Hill, closed in March 2020 and its owners applied for permission to convert the building into five apartments.
But after campaigners fought against the plans, Bristol City Council’s development control committee refused to grant permission in November last year. However, Bar Wars, which owns the pub, appealed to the planning inspector against the refusal, and the inspector has now allowed the appeal—granting permission for the flats.
Overturning the refusal marks the latest twist in a long-running saga of the local community fighting to save its pub, who previously said the loss would be a “travesty” for Windmill Hill. The main question in whether it should be converted is how many other pubs are nearby.
