The Lord Nelson, Nether Poppleton: Locals lose fight over housing behind 17th-century village pub that dates back to the battle of Marston Moor

The battle to build two houses at the back of The Lord Nelson in Nether Poppleton has rumbled on for several years – with the landowners, a Mr and Mrs Walker, emerging victorious.

Locals say the pub dates back to the seventeenth century and was used as a field hospital during the battle of Marston Moor.

Planning applications to create homes on two plots of land behind the pub car park were rejected in 2020 and 2022, but a government planning inspector recently overruled the council.

The applicants then returned to City of York Council’s planning committee to ask for permission to turn the house furthest from the pub from a one-storey into a two-storey building. The pair already have permission for the home nearest the pub to be two-storeys high.

Poppleton parish councillor Richard Harper said: “It does not meet the housing needs any more than a single storey building. Its design is at odds with its surrounding development. It damages the heritage of the area and does nothing to help the local economy or provide jobs.”

A Grade II-listed building, Poppleton House, is also nearby.

Paul Harper added: “No matter how you cut, a second-storey will cause more harm to the conservation area and the setting of Poppleton House.”

The application was ‘called in’ for extra scrutiny by ward councillor Anne Hook.

She said: “It’s a really high elevation. They will dominate the surrounding area and adversely affect the conservation area.

“The developer thinks we will give up, but residents who care about the conservation area and the setting of its listed buildings will keep opposing the development as long as they can.”

The applicant and landowner Martin Walker said: “It’s a two-storey, traditionally designed dwelling with a negligible impact on very limited glimpsed views, and therefore we believe can’t be deemed prominent in any way.”

There was no great enthusiasm for the development from the planning committee members, but most councillors agreed that the planning inspector’s decision made the eventual result a foregone conclusion and voted in favour.

Coun Jonny Crawshaw said: “The new building that’s been approved as a two-storey building that’s in front of it is more prominent – so if you’re going to see anything from the street, you’re going to see that one.

“There’s no way that a planning inspector would do anything other than overturn a refusal. It doesn’t help the community to give them false hope on it – we tried and it’s been lost and that’s it.”

Voting against the proposal, Coun Tony Fisher said: “I think it will have a significant effect on long distance views and on the conservation area and I’m afraid I cannot support it.”