Plan to turn Yorkshire village pub into housing refused - against the wishes of the locals

The Royal Oak Inn, in Hirst Courtney, has been closed since 2015 and members of Hirst Courtney and West Bank Parish Council said it was now an “eyesore” and should instead be knocked down and used for housing.

But Selby District Council planning officers and a majority of Selby councillors disagreed at a meeting on April 6. The applicant, Thomas Devanny, wanted to build nine homes on the site in Main Street.

A planning report said not enough evidence has been provided to show that the building could be retained as an asset for the community and that the development would be inconsistent with the character of the village.

The nearest open pub is The Sloop Inn, in Temple Hirst, less than a 10 minute walk away.

Parish council chairman Russ Wagstaff told Selby councillors on the planning committee that villagers backed the proposal for homes.

“The building is in a terrible state of repair, both inside and out,” he said. “It should in my opinion be demolished. It’s an eyesore and detracts from the appearance of this rural, attractive village.”

Parish council vice-chairman Ian Forbes, who also backed the plan, said: “We need a definite solution with regards to the Royal Inn, one that supports the interests of all the villagers and maintains the value of the village and its properties.”

Selby District councillor Charles Richardson agreed. “I think it’s a reasonable scheme and the best outcome for this site and the village,” he said.

The community wanted more homes for their children and feared what other commercial enterprise could take on the site if it were not used for housing, Coun Richardson added.

But Coun John Mackman said the asking price of the pub £600,000 was unrealistic

“If you’re trying to sell something that’s derelict in this state for the money that they seem to be asking for, then it’s never going to sell,” he said. “You’ve got to advertise it at a realistic market price.”

The council report said it was “not considered that the submission provides the relevant level of information or a suitable level of marketing to state that a community use would not be viable.”

Coun Paul Welch added: “It seems to me that the majority of the proposed development is outside the development limits, which to me is a big concern.”