Families win fight against pub plans
Scheme to convert Grade Ii-listed building thrown out
FAMILIES who want to see one of their town’s historic buildings reopened as a pub and hotel are celebrating after plans to convert it into flats were thrown out.
The Royal Oak, in High Street, Cheadle, dates back to the early 19th century and is Grade Ii-listed.
But it has been empty for more than six years and is now falling into disrepair. The Georgian building was listed as an asset of community value back in 2020 as residents were keen to see it renovated and returned to its original pub use.
David Gough applied for permission to convert The Royal Oak into nine flats following lapsed planning approval for apartments which was granted in 2015.
But Members of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council’s planning applications committee refused permission for the conversion of The Royal Oak at a meeting last week.
The application for the former pub and hotel had been recommended for approval by planning officers.
The decision comes after more than half-adozen objections, as well as concerns raised by Cheadle Town Council.
The town council said changing the ground floor from offices to accommodation would be against policy on protecting retail space. David Edwards, from Shelsley Road, Cheadle, is one of the local residents to write in opposing the plans. He said: “A hotel in Cheadle High Street was one of the recommendations of the master plan.
“The owners have allowed the last planning application to lapse. What is to say that they won’t do it a second time, allowing the building to fall into even greater state of disrepair?”
Paul Plant, from Monkhouse, Cheadle, said it should be reinstated as a hotel to ‘capitalise on the tourists flocking to Alton Towers’ just a few miles away. “The high streets are dying because of ventures such as these, which profit only the owner and put nothing back,” he added.
Another objector, Kay Mitchell, highlighted that it was one of the largest and oldest buildings remaining on the High Street. She wants to see it become a community hub.
She said: “If the district council is serious about developing the tourist trade in the Cheadle area, then they must see that Cheadle town centre needs somewhere for visitors to find out more about the area and its history. The Royal Oak could serve this purpose.”
In a consultation exercise, Cheadle Town Council said: “It was resolved that the council objects to the proposed changes to the application, in particular, the changes to the ground floor from offices to accommodation as they feel that this does not comply with policy on primary and secondary street retail protection.
“The council also indicated their wish that this being a building of historical importance to the town it should be retained as a hotel as there is very little accommodation in Cheadle for visitors.”
Councillor Bill Cawley said: “The Foxlowe has been a tremendous asset to Leek. The Royal Oak can be also for Cheadle. It has the potential to be like the Foxlowe.” Councillor Ben Emery was also in favour of the building being used as a community facility.
He said: “This cannot be converted into bed sits or apartments. There are enough flats.
“It is taking away the heritage, it needs to be a community asset. There are so many things it could be so it needs to be saved.”