PLANS to convert a “well-loved" pub in Whitchurch into two houses have been rejected by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC).

Residents and councillors managed to convince the council's development control committee that The Red House pub in Whitchurch is needed in the town.

In 2015, the pub's owners were given planning permission to build houses in its beer garden and car park. They argued that they were doing it to make the pub viable.

After the houses were built and sold, the owners closed the pub in 2018 saying they were “losing money every week".

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Since then, they applied for permission to change of use of the building itself from a public house to two dwellings – a two-bedroom house and a three-bedroom house but these plans were refused during a development control meeting held on Wednesday, July 6.

Speaking against plans were three BDBC councillors for Whitchurch – Cllr Chloe Ashfield, Cllr Colin Phillimore and Cllr Stephen Williams – and members of Whitchurch Town Council.

Cllr John Buckley from Whitchurch Town Council, said residents had been left angry after deterioration set in at the pub “creating quite a lot of local anger”.

He said: “Promises were not kept, and social value developed over three hundred years was literally crumbling away.”

Meanwhile Amanda Winch who spoke on behalf of the Whitchurch community said the building has the “potential to serve as a pub for many years to come”.

She added: “Approval of this planning would rob the town of a much-needed community asset. Losing such a cool and historic part of town when it was growing and in need of facilities like this would be a mistake."

Cllr Ashfield, said pub is a “well-loved” meeting place which has been proven by the application receiving over 400 objections.

Speaking at the meeting, she said: “There is a very active social scene in Whitchurch it just requires those businesses to be sensible and community minded. Our population has grown and continues to therefore I know the Red House is needed as a pub.”

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Councillors on the committee expressed their concerns about the application.

Cllr Paul Harvey said due to the “sheer volume” of community objections he failed to see how he could support the application.

Speaking on behalf of the applicant Rebecca Judd, added: “This was a community asset but it was neglected by the community, which led to the decline and the asset of community value listing has expired.”

The details relating to the listed building status will be presented to the committee in a  new detailed office report, which will be discussed at the next BDBC committee meeting.

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