Brockton pub conversion refused amid outcry from villagers

Plans to turn a country pub into housing have been rejected amid an outcry from village residents.

The Feathers Inn in Brockton, near Much Wenlock, Shropshire, closed in August 2023, which the applicant said was due to “lack of demand, rising costs and low turnover” .

But Shropshire Council refused the change of use after deciding that insufficient evidence had been provided to show whether the pub could still be run as a viable community facility.

Easthope Shipton and Stanton Long Parish Council said residents had expressed “deep concern” about the effect of losing the pub.

The application attracted 46 objections and more than 40 residents attended an extraordinary meeting of the parish council to consider the application.

Shropshire Council’s planning report said the pub’s closure appeared to have been a “shocking decision for both villagers and staff”.

The applicant, however, argued that there was insufficient trade to make the business viable.

“Social media managed to attract customers from the surrounding area, but this was not enough to allow a reasonable income and standard of living,” added a support statement.

However, the council’s planning team said not enough accounts had been submitted to assess the pub’s commercial potential.

“The applicant has not provided any business accounts to support his claim that the business was not viable, nor to establish what he considers to be a reasonable living wage,” the officer’s report said.

“Officers consider that due to the lack of evidence presented by the applicant, it is not clear why this business model which includes first floor rooms for rent is no longer viable today.”