Former Yorkshire pub to be made into flats, despite objections
A West Yorkshire pub, in a small town just outside of Leeds, is set to be turned into new flats, despite local outcry. The post Former Yorkshire pub to be made into flats, despite objections appeared first on The Drinks Business.
A West Yorkshire pub, in a small town just outside of Leeds, is set to be turned into new flats, despite local outcry.
The Heckmondwike Tavern, formerly known as the Sir Robert Peel Inn, has been vacant for little more than 12 months and has since become the subject of a recent planning application from developers keen to turn it into more lucrative apartments.
According to local reports, objections flew in from residents of the town after Clifton Properties applied for planning permission via Kirklees Council to adapt the High Street hostelry and turn its garden into parking spaces.
Under the proposed plans, the pub would be turned into six one-bed flats, with six car parking spaces.
Documents supporting the plans have insisted to the council that the premises are “no longer commercially viable” as a public house and have suggested that, despite it being in the town centre, residents could frequent other pubs instead of rallying against the plans.
Despite this tack from the developers, locals are still unconvinced and members of the public have submitted objections to the council.
A third of pub losses happen without the required planning permission, according to new data recently gathered by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
Pubs and breweries being converted into residential property by developers who find ways to 'flip' the site to make it a more lucrative personal revenue stream have been a hot topic for discussion in the media of late after several historic beer landmarks have been lost to developers.
The CAMRA research showed how a total of 95 pubs across Britain were lost to conversion or demolition in the first six months of the year. The figures also revealed that 31 of those lacked planning permission and a further 772 were classed as ‘long-term closed’, equivalent to 30 pubs a week, and by far the highest figures seen since CAMRA started producing comparable figures in 2021.
On its surface, the decision to allow vacant pubs to be brought back into use is a positive step forward for the British high street. But the reality brings about the risk of venues being gutted in favour of redevelopment and never being returned to being a public venue.
To combat this, a cross-party group of MPs has called on the government to ensure high street pubs are safeguarded from alternative development under new rules. However, historic breweries owned by big beer companies are also facing a similar threat as seen by Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) having insisted that the “decline of the cask ale market” was a consideration when deciding on the closure of Wychwood Brewery and sell it on. Heineken has also recently sold Edinburgh’s historic Caledonian Brewery site to the property developers Artisan Real Estate in a move that will never see it return to its brewing heritage.
One ongoing story has surrounded the destruction of the UK’s wonkiest pub, The Crooked Inn, where the owners of the site demolished the structure following an unexpected fire. CAMRA called The Crooked House demolition ‘a national tragedy’ after the fire was treated as arson, the owners where then issued with an enforcement notice to rebuild the pub brick-by-brick. In a similar show of outrage, beer fans took to social media to complain when CMBC revealed plans to close Banks’s Brewery, citing “restructuring” as its reasoning.
One recent win however was seen when a public inquiry ruled that The China Hall pub in London's Rotherhithe must be returned to being a public house after its owners tried to convert the historic pub into flats, showing there are ways and means to stop developers converting pubs.
The main concern among locals in Heckmondwike however appears to be the adapted parking area more than the property itself with some raising concerns over traffic issues.
Describing the situation, one resident of Heckmondwike admitted: “In principle the flats are not my concern, the application to have five parking spaces is the problem. The premises are in close proximity to our flats and all these cars would have an impact on our quality of life. We require access to our properties as I am disabled and need to be able to drop my shopping off.”
They explained: “The beer garden is the proposed parking area and this is very close to our dwellings. We do not want cars revving coming at all hours. This area is very congested because of taxis and other parking.”
Another local added: “The area is in close proximity to my dwelling and would present a lot of pollution and noise next to my windows. Myself and other residents do not want cars coming and going blocking our access and obstructing access up the path to the other flats and car park. The area is congested now with taxis and other cars parked. We already have problems with other cars blocking our access.”
A decision on the pub's redevelopment plans and its future as a hostelry or as residential flats is due to be released by the council by 21 May.
The Heckmondwike Tavern, formerly known as the Sir Robert Peel Inn, has been vacant for little more than 12 months and has since become the subject of a recent planning application from developers keen to turn it into more lucrative apartments.
According to local reports, objections flew in from residents of the town after Clifton Properties applied for planning permission via Kirklees Council to adapt the High Street hostelry and turn its garden into parking spaces.
Under the proposed plans, the pub would be turned into six one-bed flats, with six car parking spaces.
Documents supporting the plans have insisted to the council that the premises are “no longer commercially viable” as a public house and have suggested that, despite it being in the town centre, residents could frequent other pubs instead of rallying against the plans.
Despite this tack from the developers, locals are still unconvinced and members of the public have submitted objections to the council.
A third of pub losses happen without the required planning permission, according to new data recently gathered by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
Pubs and breweries being converted into residential property by developers who find ways to 'flip' the site to make it a more lucrative personal revenue stream have been a hot topic for discussion in the media of late after several historic beer landmarks have been lost to developers.
The CAMRA research showed how a total of 95 pubs across Britain were lost to conversion or demolition in the first six months of the year. The figures also revealed that 31 of those lacked planning permission and a further 772 were classed as ‘long-term closed’, equivalent to 30 pubs a week, and by far the highest figures seen since CAMRA started producing comparable figures in 2021.
On its surface, the decision to allow vacant pubs to be brought back into use is a positive step forward for the British high street. But the reality brings about the risk of venues being gutted in favour of redevelopment and never being returned to being a public venue.
To combat this, a cross-party group of MPs has called on the government to ensure high street pubs are safeguarded from alternative development under new rules. However, historic breweries owned by big beer companies are also facing a similar threat as seen by Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) having insisted that the “decline of the cask ale market” was a consideration when deciding on the closure of Wychwood Brewery and sell it on. Heineken has also recently sold Edinburgh’s historic Caledonian Brewery site to the property developers Artisan Real Estate in a move that will never see it return to its brewing heritage.
One ongoing story has surrounded the destruction of the UK’s wonkiest pub, The Crooked Inn, where the owners of the site demolished the structure following an unexpected fire. CAMRA called The Crooked House demolition ‘a national tragedy’ after the fire was treated as arson, the owners where then issued with an enforcement notice to rebuild the pub brick-by-brick. In a similar show of outrage, beer fans took to social media to complain when CMBC revealed plans to close Banks’s Brewery, citing “restructuring” as its reasoning.
One recent win however was seen when a public inquiry ruled that The China Hall pub in London's Rotherhithe must be returned to being a public house after its owners tried to convert the historic pub into flats, showing there are ways and means to stop developers converting pubs.
The main concern among locals in Heckmondwike however appears to be the adapted parking area more than the property itself with some raising concerns over traffic issues.
Describing the situation, one resident of Heckmondwike admitted: “In principle the flats are not my concern, the application to have five parking spaces is the problem. The premises are in close proximity to our flats and all these cars would have an impact on our quality of life. We require access to our properties as I am disabled and need to be able to drop my shopping off.”
They explained: “The beer garden is the proposed parking area and this is very close to our dwellings. We do not want cars revving coming at all hours. This area is very congested because of taxis and other parking.”
Another local added: “The area is in close proximity to my dwelling and would present a lot of pollution and noise next to my windows. Myself and other residents do not want cars coming and going blocking our access and obstructing access up the path to the other flats and car park. The area is congested now with taxis and other cars parked. We already have problems with other cars blocking our access.”
A decision on the pub's redevelopment plans and its future as a hostelry or as residential flats is due to be released by the council by 21 May. 
