Ascot Tavern Redevelopment

Cannock Chase District Council have approved plans to demolish the former Ascot Tavern pub in Cannock and build a new convenience shop and micro pub.

Our planning consultants Pegasus Group worked closely with the local authority to secure permission on our behalf, that crucially included detailed reports demonstrating that the cost of refurbishment and current market conditions meant the reuse of the building as a pub was unlikely to be viable.

David Pickford, Senior Planner at Pegasus Group’s Birmingham office, said: “We are extremely pleased that our consultations with the local authority and detailed background reports have resulted in this positive outcome for Globe Homes Ltd.

“The site on Longford Road had been vacant for more than two years, and it is clear it was no longer a ‘valued’ community facility and had no prospect of being reused as a public house. As demonstrated in the Economic Viability Report, reuse of the existing building as a public house was unlikely to be viable with consideration to a variety of factors such as the site’s location, existing condition and layout; operating costs; funding issues; market demand; and trade potential.

“Crucially, the approved plans include a micro pub and a local shopping facility and as such the proposed redevelopment will not result in the loss of a community facility, only the replacement of one community facility with two new ones.”

The food retail unit will be occupied by The Co-operative Group to provide a neighbourhood food convenience store. It has been designed as a ‘top-up’ facility to meet local community shopping needs in a primary catchment of 500m from the site, who will generally walk to the premises.

The micro pub allows an element of Use Class A4 to be retained at the site in a format that is viable. Given a range of factors, including the cost of refurbishment and the availability of other public houses in the vicinity, the reuse of and investment in the existing building brought with it an above average risk of business failure. A micro pub however, will allow for more achievable business rents / rates.

David added: “The plans provide clear benefits for the local area, including the creation of jobs and economic prosperity. They represent sustainable economic growth for the area, providing shopping and micro pub facilities for the local community, and supporting a sustainable local community through social inclusion and healthy living. The redevelopment will enhance the vitality and viability of the local area by providing a viable and effective reuse of a site that has been vacant for a long time.”

The full application will see the demolition of the existing two storey Ascot Tavern pub and the erection of a single storey building of modern design containing one retail unit and one micro pub unit, plus associated access and parking.