A country pub shut for a decade can be turned into housing after members of a planning committee approved the change.
Bosses of The Crown Inn, in Stone in Oxney, near Tenterden, have long-wanted to convert the 300-year-old tavern into a home.
The building was taken on by Chris Conrath in 2007 who, alongside his wife, ploughed £500,000 into “upgrading, refurbishing and extending” the venue.
They reopened it in 2009 with “an enhanced food and drink offering” in the form of a bistro and bar and with B&B accommodation.
But the business closed its doors in 2016 and has remained shut ever since.
On Thursday, March 25, nine of the 13 members on Ashford Borough Council’s (ABC) planning committee voted in favour of turning the former public house into a five-bedroom property.
They also gave the green light to convert an annexe into a one-bedroom home and create a new parking area.
Applicant Mr Conrath said: “For eight years, we invested significant sums of our own money, refurbishing and adapting to meet ever-changing circumstances.
“Despite improving the good offer, adding guest accommodation, and diversifying the business model, we continued to struggle and ran at a loss every year we were open.
“Continuing on therefore was not sustainable with increasing costs, wages, pensions, NI, business rates and raw materials.
“The decision to close was not easy and deeply disappointing for us, but frankly unavoidable.
“Since closure, we’ve marketed the building widely.
“But no other operators, brewery, alternate commercial users, community group or individual has come forward with any serious proposal.
“So this scheme would allow a decaying building to be repurposed after 10 years lying dormant, securing its future and providing much-needed housing.”
One of those to vote in favour was Cllr Guy Pullen (Greens, Rolvenden & Tenterden), who said: “It’s really tragic when a pub closes down in a small village.
“But it has to be said just down the road is The Ferry, a pub at Appledore, and there’s Playden and Rye. The area is not completely without pubs.
“When we look my way in Biddenden, Sissinghurst and Cranbrook, we see communities don’t use pubs like they used to.”
However, Cllr Johnny Shilton (Con), who represents the Isle of Oxney ward, believes giving up on the pub is the wrong decision.
He explained: “The Swan in Great Chart has reopened and The Black Lion in Appledore is doing well with no parking – that reopened in 2023 and is going from strength-to-strength.
“The applicant has stated the pub is no longer viable, but how can they possibly know this when it’s been allowed to sit closed for so many years?
“A long period of closure does not prove the viability.
“The Crown has a generous bar and restaurant area, which any chef would desire, plus a large garden with a pizza oven, on-site parking, and even accommodation.”
In 2024, ABC rejected plans to convert the pub into a home, saying it would amount to “unacceptable loss of a community facility”.
Villagers had also expressed their “disgust” at the proposals, arguing the pub “used to be a social hub” and could be again.
But new planning documents, which saw eight objections and one comment of support, insist the business is “no longer viable”.
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“The location of the public house is the main reason why it is not of interest to potential operators,” says the marketing report by surveyors and estate agents firm Sibley Pares.
“There are fewer than 80 dwellings within reasonable walking distances of the pub,” it added.
ABC planning officers say further marketing of the property has been carried out since the previous application was rejected – something they say has led to “no interest in the pub”.