The Queens Arms, Huyton, Planning Consent Now Granted for Change of Use

Details
Category: The Queens Arms Huyton

Knowsley Planning department have recently give full planning consent to convert the existing first floor licensee accommodation into residential flats.

The existing ground floor pub area is to be re-vamped into a bar/bistro, but the planning application drawings showed no alterations to this area. The Queens Arms is listed by CAMRA as a Pub with an Historic Pub Interior and is a particularly good example of a late 1950s interior and schemes of this quality have now become very rare.

Here is a link to CAMRA heritage site https://pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs/4296

CAMRA maintains an inventory of pubs recognised as having interiors of National or Regional Importance and any revamp of the ground floor will result in the destruction of a rare heritage asset particular the removal of period fixtures and fittings.
Whilst the planning officers report acknowledges CAMRA’S concerns regarding the interior area it ignores the long-term viability of the business. The report states: -

“There is no evidence to suggest that the long-term future viability of the public house would be in jeopardy if the proposal for the conversion of the upper floors is implemented or that the interior of the pub would be altered as this does not form part of this application. In any event given that the building is not listed any internal works would not require any specific permission from the Local Planning Authority”

The loss of licensee accommodation will in effect make it a “lock up” pub and will make it unattractive to potential future licensees, thereby causing recruitment problems and therefore threaten the viability of the pub.
It is considered that the planning application is a “Trojan Horse” application which will eventually lead to the pub closing and just as important is that the historic interior needs to be saved.
You can expect a further planning application in the not-too-distant future to convert the remaining ground floor to residential accommodation citing that the pub is not viable.
 
Graham Murray
Pubs Protection Officer
October 2021

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