BRIGG BLOG REFLECTS ON PUB-TO-HOUSING CONVERSIONS AS LATEST PLAN IS REJECTED BY COUNCIL

 

 

Next month it will be three years since the Nelthorpe Arms in Brigg served its last pint prior to closure and conversion into purely residential use - a case being put forward that the Bridge Street licensed premises were no longer viable as a hostelry and 'change of use' was the only viable option. North Lincolnshire Council agreed and permission was granted, with the outward appearance of the listed building in the conservation area being preserved
Pub-to-housing conversions have been approved across the UK for many years.
However, West Lindsey District Council has has now REFUSED an application to convert an early 19th century pub - eight miles south of Brigg - into a dwelling.
Announcing its decision on the Marquis of Granby at Waddingham, the council informed the applicant: "The proposal fails to provide sufficient information to demonstrate that the public house, a centrally located community facility, is no longer fit for purpose and the site is not viable to be redeveloped for a new community facility. Nor is there alternative  provision that exists within reasonable proximity."
Local ward councillor Jeff Summers (Waddingham & Spital) said: "The success of a public house is down to the level of hospitality, and personable attributes of the landlord. Please allow for another occupant to prove himself. Please allow the prospective buyer a chance to provide much needed facilities for this rural community.”
Waddingham Parish Council also objected to the application, saying: "The Marquis of Granby is at the centre of our community and has been successful for many years."
The council received objections from many Waddingham residents, and there was also some support expressed for the proposal.
A detailed report submitted on behalf of the Mansfield-based applicant said: "It's abundantly clear that the property in question unfortunately no longer functions as its intended use. The application which this Design and Access Statement supports, if approved, would allow the building to be brought back into use again and provide a family home for future generations."
Brigg Blog photographed the Marquis of Granby a couple of years ago from the top floor of a double-decker bus operating the Fridays-only Brigg to Lincoln service (since discontinued).
In Brigg, over recent years, the Brocklesby Ox (Bridge Street) and the Ancholme Inn (Grammar School Road) were knocked down with new housing being built on both sites. Barnetby's Railway Inn has also given way to new properties.
At Scawby Brook, council approval was given last month to convert the King William IV pub to residential use, and outline permission granted to build new properties on land behind the hamlet's hostelry. 

The 'King Billy' remains open at present.
There is considerable demand for new housing in Brigg and surrounding settlements within a 10-mile radius. And that has been the case for many years.

PICTURED: Above - The Marquis of Granby on Waddingham High Street (left) and the Nelthorpe Arms, Brigg, on its farewell night in May 2018 including our last pint of many supped there over the years. Below - the town's Brocklesby Ox and the Ancholme Inn - demolition underway and pending.