PUB CAN BECOME HOLIDAY HOMES
Quiet Woman now set to become four self-catering flats
PLANS to turn part of a Leek pub into holiday accommodation have been approved.
Planners at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council have given the go ahead for the development at the Quiet Woman located in St Edward Street.
The proposals involved the change of use to provide four self-catering holiday let units within part of an existing public house.
Leek Town Council and Staffordshire County Council Highways both raised no objections to the proposals.
A decision report by case officer, Ben Hurst, said: “This scheme would reduce the existing drinking space to that of the original bar area.
“A large roof light canopy that covers the yard to the rear would be removed, restoring and opening up the old stable yard to provide the access and circulation space to four units that would occupy the existing stable units at the rear.
“The property is in the town centre, where the Leek Area Strategy applies, and is supported by other connected policies which generally encourage tourism development, and development that enhances the vitality and viability of the town centres.
“Supporting the retention and growth of existing business within the town will consolidate its role as the principal service centre and a market town and support its regeneration.
“The proposal has benefits in these regards and overall it would be compliant with and deliver on development plan commitments.
“By diversifying the business so that it is less reliant on attracting drinkers and generating revenue from tourist visitors drawn by the attractions, retail and entertainment of Leek and the surrounding areas, the longevity of a viable use is supported.
“This can only benefit the ongoing maintenance of one of Leek’s most important historic buildings and the vitality and viability of the town as a whole by bringing new visitors to the area with spend in the local businesses. “This in turn would generate some employment opportunity and promote Leek’s special character and heritage and strengthen its role as a visitor destination. In these regards the development would be very much complaint with, and assist with the delivery of, the strategy and policy of the development plan. “The proposal would make alternative, appropriate, reuse of a Grade II -Listed historic public house making use of existing layout and openings.
“Rather than enveloping the historic stable yard and stable buildings into the drinking floor space of the pub, this scheme opens the yard again by removing the canopy lantern and makes good use of the old stable buildings as individual lets.
“All of the necessary alterations to the listed building have been given careful consideration under the context of the application for listed building consent and assessed by both the applicant’s conservation consultant and the council’s specialist officer.
“The alterations are considered to have mainly, beneficial or neutral impacts, and in a few cases, mildly harmful impacts on the significance of the heritage assets.
“Revised plans and supplementary information and detail have addressed the concerns of the conservation officer. The revisions would not harm the heritage asset, indeed they would sustain it and deliver tourism accommodation in a highly sustainable location.
“The proposals comprise tourist development which would support the vitality and viability of the town centre and support an existing business within and making use of an historic building.”
“This can only benefit the ongoing maintenance of one of Leek’s most important historic buildings”
Ben Hurst