Future doesn't look bright for village pub

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