Village set to get first green space with pub’s conversion
RESTORATION AND BUILDING PLANS ARE SUBMITTED
A VILLAGE pub is to be restored as part of plans to convert a complex of buildings into nine homes.
Owners of The Royal Arms, a hotel, restaurant and wedding venue in Main Street, Sutton Cheney, near Bosworth Battlefield, have applied for planning permission to convert the site into a fresh development, including a community building and a public green space.
The open space will have a play area for children and a community pavilion, and will be the first public green space in the village’s history.
The proposal would restore the historic identity of the pub as The Greyhound Inn, which is believed to have been a coaching inn since the 19th century, before it became The Royal Arms, which is a popular wedding and party venue.
The pub will be retained under the scheme.
Councillor Andrew Copson, parish councillor for Sutton Cheney, said: “During consultation with villagers, three concerns came up most prominently.
“Villagers wanted to keep a pub, they wanted development of homes to be in keeping with the historic environment, and they hoped for a new green space for the village.
“It’s been a pleasure working with the developer to see these delivered in the plans.”
All of the new homes will be converted from existing buildings, meaning that the character of the conservation area can be retained.
The green space will be community owned, providing more than 2,500 square metres of open green space and public toilets for walkers on the popular Leicestershire Round country walk.
A representative for the Royal Arms Hotel has advised that the planning process will not stop the business from continuing to trade.
The planning application has been submitted to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council this month with officials expected to make a decision later this year.