Plans to revamp boarded-up Cleckheaton pub thwarted

Kirklees Council officers said the Little Gem Pub Company’s proposals to extend the listed George pub and build a roof terrace are not in-keeping with the street’s visual setting.

The Parkside ale house shut in early 2015 because of a drop-off in trade and the possibility of rent hikes, according to former co-owner Simon Pawson.

It had also garnered what Mr Pawson believed to be an unfair reputation as a magnet for troublemakers.

The refused plans, which were submitted lastNovember, included a new stone extension to the pub with a roof terrace on top, to be accessed by a spiral staircase.

The inside of the current 19th century building would have been redesigned to have new bars fitted.

But in a decision notice to the developers, Kirklees planners wrote that the works “would cause substantial harm to the listed building, its setting and the visual amenities of the wider streetscene.”

This was because of the scale and design of the plans as well as the “cumulative impact” of features planned for the outisde of the pub, they said.

“No evidence of substantial public benefits has been submitted that would outweigh the harm” to the area, planners added.

Because of this the proposals do not comply with the Kirklees Unitary Development Plan or national planning policy.

The company had argued in its design and access statement that the work would have “no detrimental impact” on neighbouring properties.

See more about the plans and reaction in the Spenborough Guardian on Thursday.