Palace owner’s plans to turn pub into house withdrawn

Plans to turn a village pub into housing have been withdrawn after fuelling more than 80 objections. The owner of Apethorpe Palace, Jean Christophe Iseux, Baron von Pfetten, submitted plans in the summer to turn the empty village pub into housing. The application sparked controversy in the village, which has a population of less than 200 people, with 81 objections and 36 letters of support sent to North Northamptonshire Council, the planning authority.

One resident said: “Our village is small and relatively isolated, it has no village hall, church hall, or playing field where the villagers can gather to meet and socialise. The pub was the only place this could take place. “The importance for the villagers being able to meet and socialise on a regular basis cannot be underestimated and contributes not only to their well being but social harmony also.



” The doors to the pub have been shut since April last year, with soaring prices blamed for the closure. To see more planning applications and other public notices for your area, visit publicnoticeportal.uk .

Suzanne and Jim Millar took over the pub in January 2020, just two months before the first national lockdown, and renamed it The Willow and Brook. It was previously called the King’s Head and has had a number of different owners in recent years. Since its closure it has been marketed for rent, but no new tenant has been found.

Another person lodging objections added: “If the change of use is granted, the ability to provide this community asset will be lost forever because the likelihood of it ever being allowed to change back to a pub is minimal. “Community spaces are vital for both the enjoyment and the future proofing of rural life, and they should be protected at all costs. “It may be that the market is tough at the moment for pubs and so there is no landlord forthcoming at the moment, but this will change.

The pub needs to be available when that change happens.” Other objections raised included rent being too high which will deter potential tenants and demand from people living outside the village including walkers and cyclists. The plans to turn it into a house included building a wall in the restaurant to create a dining room and living room.

According to the design and access statement, this would be easily removable to ‘allow the Willow and Brook to re-open if the hospitality market conditions improve in the future’. Comments in favour were also submitted, including a number from friends or acquaintances of the baron, which supported giving the building a new lease of life as a home. One comment of support read: “Apethorpe villagers did not use the pub before the pandemic or economic crisis anyway therefore this is not a community pub.

“The church is the real community place.” Another added: “This minority opposes this application without giving any solution. The result of this application not being granted will be a pub permanently closed because nobody wants to operate it.

” What do you think of the plans? Let us know in the comments..