PLANS to convert part of a historic dale pub into a home have been given the go-ahead.
Durham County Council’s south and west area planning committee met last Thursday (February 20) at County Hall to decide whether planning permission and listed building consent should be granted for the conversion of a single storey annexe at the Fernaville’s Rest, in Whorlton.
The village’s only pub shut last year when many customers stopped visiting following the closure of Whorlton Bridge for repairs.
As a result, owner Ivan Carter-Becker, of Geo A Carter Ltd, applied to change the use of the annexe dining room into a three-bedroomed property in a bid to increase the pub’s viability.
Whorlton and Westwick Parish Council had objected to the plans with concerns over loss of the community asset, impact on the heritage assets, loss of tourist accommodation and employment. The parish council also questioned the applicant’s viability report. In the report, Mr Carter-Becker, explains how the proposals would “give new life” to the pub and make changes to a model which has resulted in repeated closure.
He stated the pub would be a better size for the number of customers and that without change the premises wouldn’t have a future. However, speaking at the meeting, parish clerk Jonathan Dickinson said: “It is very much debatable whether or not the changes proposed will improve it or kill it.
“The main reason why the viability report is wrong is that the pub was operating at maximum capacity. The pub regularly turned away people at the weekend because there were no empty tables. That is hardly the picture of a pub that is not viable.
“There is enough here to say ‘no’. The parish council would like the committee to use its common sense. You don’t lose part of a pub that is being used to its maximum capacity.”
County councillor James Rowlandson attended the meeting to express his concerns. He said: “In my opinion, the planning application comes down to the viability after the annexe has been taken away. The annexe was the biggest part of the pub and took most of the covers.
“While it is always down to the tenant how they make their money to make the pub viable, if the annexe was taken away in this case it would leave very little room.
“This is a lovely village which should have its own pub. To take away the annexe would completely ruin the viability of it.”
Mr Carter-Becker assured the committee that the plans were not a “Trojan horse” aimed at taking the pub away.
He said: “The entire point of this application is to try to turn around a pub which has been a serial failure over the last ten years.
“I understand the worries people have. It is a big change to the pub. As far as I am concerned what we are trying to do is bring a viable public house to Whorlton.”
However, committee member Cllr George Richardson had his doubts.
He said: “We sit on the committee and many times ask do you let your village grow or die? I feel, from what we have heard, that this would be the first step to letting it die. A big influence has been the closure of Whorlton Bridge.
“The applicant said it had been a serial failure for ten years. I know you were lucky if you could get in for a meal. It had such a good reputation. I can’t support this application. This would be a loss.”
Senior planning officer Steven Pilkington informed the committee that “a pub with a reduced floor area would still remain viable” .
Cllr Fraser Tinsley said: “We have got to decide is this really a legitimate attempt to sustain a public house or is it a Trojan horse? It would definitely be less viable in my view but it would not be unviable. I think it is difficult to go against the officer’s recommendation.”
Most committee members voted in favour of the application.
