Future doesn't look bright for village pub

stag

Plans to erect an annex building at a vacant pub in Little Warford, to create an additional 10 bedrooms, are being recommended for refusal.

Ribble Valley Inns, who purchased The Stag's Head on Mill Lane in 2013, state that without the additional rooms the pub would not be a viable business in the long term. If planning permission for the construction of a detached building is not granted the company says the scheme would not be financially viable so it could result in the loss of the village pub and the building being left vacant.

The scheme is being recommended for refusal on the grounds that it represents an inappropriate form of development within the Green Belt.

A report prepared by the Planning Officer for next week's Northern Planning Committee meeting states "The development represents an inappropriate form of development within the Green Belt for which very special circumstances must be demonstrated that clearly outweigh the harm.

"The development would provide some economic benefits in the form of increased revenue and a slight increased number of people employed over and above the approved scheme. However the social benefits provided by the applicant have not been sufficiently demonstrated.

"The environmental harm in the form of the harm to the Green Belt and the character of the area would clearly outweigh any economic benefits the scheme would provide and so for the application is recommended for a refusal."

The Council received representations from 45 different properties regarding this planning application. Whilst the majority of which were in support of the pub reopening, two objections were received from the residents closest to the site who feel the new building would result in an overdevelopment of the site and raised concerns over the level of parking provision.

The company was granted planning permission in November 2016 (reference 16/4079M) to alter convert the public house and extend the existing barn to form a new restaurant and 4 hotel bedrooms.

However, the application states "The planning permission approved for the extension to the hotel and creation of 4 bedrooms is not viable for the developer. As demonstrated in the Investment Appraisal, for the scheme to be deliverable and viable, the additional bedrooms are required. In short with the 10 additional bedrooms Ribble Valley Inns have calculated a 20.7% profit and with the previous planning permission without the 10 bedrooms is calculated at 2% profit."

The Planning Officer questions whether the business is only viable with the additional bedrooms stating "The site was purchased by the applicants soon after the pub closed down from the previous owner in 2013. No marketing from that time has been evidenced and no marketing of the site has been carried out since. The applicant's assertion that the site is not viable as a pub alone has therefore not been sufficiently justified. It may not be viable for the applicant, but may be for another user. Without a sufficient marketing exercise there is not sufficient evidence to suggest that the site is only viable with a 10 bedroom annexe."

Ribble Valley Inns is part of the Northcote Group of Companies, co-founded by Head Chef Nigel Haworth and Craig Bancroft, which also includes the Michelin Star restaurant Northcote, near Blackburn. Ribble Valley currently operate five pubs, including The Nag's Head in Haughton Moss which opened in 2014 and made net losses of £500,000 in its first two years.

In order to ensure the business remains viable in the long term, the company is now only looking for acquisitions that accommodate 10 to 18 bedrooms to add a higher margin income stream to support the sales of food and beverages.

The Northern Planning Committee will meet at 10am on Wednesday, 5th April, at Macclesfield Town Hall.

The planning application can be viewed on the Cheshire East Council website by searching for planning reference 17/0837M.

Tags:
Planning Applications, The Stags Head
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Graham Hall
Tuesday 28th March 2017 at 2:02 pm
I would have thought that a tasteful pub/ small hotel would be a great improvement.Its not that much different from what it was before .Pubs cant survive as drinking places alone and need to have other options with food and rooms.The stag already has a barn attached to it and if the accommodation was in keeping with the rural character that surely would satisfy the greenbelt requirements. Given the alternative of it remaining a rat infested boarded up eyesore its got to be a better option .
Mark Eden
Tuesday 28th March 2017 at 2:09 pm
When I hear East Cheshire saying that it is inappropriate for the "Greenbelt" I would urge all readers to go the totally disgusting monstrosity that has been built at Finlow Hill. East Cheshire planning is run by idiots.
David Cummings
Tuesday 28th March 2017 at 2:19 pm
I hope that if this application is refused Ribble Valley Inns leave the site in derelict condition it is in and the small minded residents get what they deserve!!
Yvonne Bentley
Tuesday 28th March 2017 at 4:06 pm
Unless I have read it incorrectly, there seemed to be representation made by 45 local residents, of which only two objected to the plans. I think it is a little mean spirited of anyone to hope that the site is left in a derelict state to punish a very small minority of people in the area
Neil Bridge
Tuesday 28th March 2017 at 5:42 pm
Cheshire east are patently dilusional . This is a sensible proposition that will hardly change the aspect of the current property and having see their other properties they will do a great job . Even if I lived next door to it I would say YES
Stuart Gallaway
Tuesday 28th March 2017 at 8:23 pm
Once again our Planning Officers excel themselves with their inconsistency. I find it very odd that planning permission had already been granted for four bedrooms and now that the applicant has sought to increase the bedroom number to ten those catch-all phrases for refusal have been trotted out i.e. Green Belt and Inappropriate Form of Development within it.
Ah, but of course, it's now the size of the development that matters and the fact that our Planning Officers have suddenly become experts at Marketing as well. Is there no end to their talents? I believe that the large housing site being built off Adlington Road was also Green Belt but it was obviously deemed appropriately sized development by someone.
Does local amenity mean nothing? The comment that there might be 'a slight increase in number of people employed over and above the approved scheme' proves that the Planning Officers are obviously out of touch - how many people are employed there at the moment? I'm not an expert in Marketing but I would hazard a guess at none! Inappropriate development? What is totally inappropriate in a Green Belt area is to have a derelict building that could and should be put back into use. We don't need another 'Yesterdays'.
Fraser Pemberton
Tuesday 28th March 2017 at 10:47 pm
The majority of the residents of GT Warford support the proposal. The Stags Head has been there for 150 years. The residents living opposite were aware that is was a public house prior to purchasing their properties. Will they also be petitioning the Royal Mail for removal of the letter Box ??

This Stag is a focal point for the Village and has now become a eyesore..... I'm sure if travellers take over the car park the minority's option would soon change.

It's not like they are applying to become a wedding venue is it ??
David Thomas
Tuesday 28th March 2017 at 10:56 pm
My observations about East Cheshire planning officer's decisions and recommendations wouldn't be suitable for publication. Their level of inconsistency is so breathtaking, it makes my blood boil. Protecting the Greenbelt? Who are you kidding? This is a viable project from an established reputable company. It benefits the community and the strength of support is obvious from multiple letters on the web site.
Fortunately the final decision will be made by the Northern Area planning committee who are far more capable of seeing the real positive benefits of this application. I hope that, as they have done in the past, those committee members will find a way to approve the project, so this sad decaying site can be re-opened again.
Mark Eden
Saturday 1st April 2017 at 7:07 am
Such diplomatic statements from all and I totally agree. However tell it as it is East Cheshire Planners are dysfunctional, addled and if they were a private business would have gone bust years ago. They are utterly clueless on design, style and business acumen.
Duncan Herald
Saturday 1st April 2017 at 8:02 am
Is this real or only another example of the 'dance' that developer and planners go through?
Developer gets planning for 4 beds.
Developer returns to ask for 10 more.
Planners say no.
Developer accepts that 6 more might be enough.
Planners allow 6 more.
All macho needs met.
Everybody's happy.
Soon be Christmas !