Village pub to make way for homes

A village pub is set to make way for new homes near Bridgnorth under revised plans.

The Cape of Good Hope in Billingsley closed in 2014 and was sold the following year.

An application by N. Malik to demolish the pub and replace it with six homes was withdrawn earlier this year over concerns that pub could still be viable.

The new proposal would see five homes take its place.

Planning agent Sheila Porter, of Broad Planning and Architecture, said the pub is listed as an asset of community value, however it has not taken on by parishioners.

She continued: “At this point in time the pub is currently closed with no prospect of becoming financially or commercially viable.

“There are no community activities taken place on the site and have not been
for a significant length of time instead there is only hope from some local residents that the activities would return if the premises could be invested in.

“Concerns have been expressed by the parish council in the reasons for nomination state that the pub is a valuable community facility.

“While community events may have been held at the premises in the past, the public house always has been and remain in private ownership with no obligations to provide such events even if the site remains as a public house.

“Furthermore, while I have no doubt that residents do enjoy a drink or meals at the pub, the financial information does not demonstrate that it generates sufficient trade to make the business viable.”

The proposed homes would have three bedrooms which would be sold on the open market, and would be a mix of semi-detached and detached.

They would also have garages and parking spaces.

Ms Porter said the new homes would provide “much needed additional accommodation” in the village.

She continued: “While the site is not located within one of the main market towns or other key centres, the proposal relates to a windfall brownfield site which is classed as previously developed land.

“The proposal  would result in the removal of a large sprawling public house which has exceeded its useful current life and is in a dilapidated state.

“In place of this, the proposal would provide small cost effective family homes for sale on the open market, which will enable young families to purchase their own home in a village where they have often grown up.

“The proposal would have a positive visual impact and would enhance the character of the countryside by providing appropriate landscaping and dwellings which reflect the existing surrounding housing stock and be more aesthetically pleasing that the large public house.”

A decision from Shropshire Council is expected before the end of the year.