New bid made to build next to pub
LATEST SCHEME FOR NINE HOMES
FRESH plans have been submitted to build homes next to a former village pub.
Developer AR Cartwright Limited is seeking permission to build nine houses behind the Oddfellows Arms, in Higham on the Hill, which closed in 2018.
A scheme was lodged with Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council in 2020 to redevelop the pub into a home as part of an estate of 26 houses, but this was withdrawn.
A borough council spokesman said at the time: “The applicant was advised the proposal was likely to be recommended for refusal for a variety of planning reasons.”
Prior to this, plans were filed to demolish the building to make way for eight homes, but this was also withdrawn.
The latest application seeks full permission for three properties immediately behind the pub, and outline consent for another six.
Campaigners from Stop (Save the Oddfellows Pub) have been battling to save the pub from demolition since it closed.
They worked with the Plunkett Foundation, which helps people in rural communities set up community-owned businesses, to establish a community benefit society (CBS), inviting people to sign up to a pledge to buy shares to buy the pub.
David Wilkinson, from Stop, has said: “Once it’s gone, it is gone forever. The Oddfellows has been a fundamental part of the lives of many families in the village for generations.
“It’s been at the heart of the village community for 200 years. Community ownership will ensure that we keep that crucial hub for future generations.”
Plans were approved in January this year for 61 homes and a shop to be built on a field off Wood Lane in the village.