The pub owners wanted to help meet a ‘substantial unmet need’ for homes in the area
Plans have been refused to build a pub car park and three new homes due to concerns over potential harm to a village’s ‘special qualities’. Owners of the Waggon and Horses in Church Street, Steeple Morden proposed to build three new self-build homes to help meet the “very substantial unmet need” for houses in South Cambridgeshire.
Also, the owners proposed to add a new garden and replacement car park to provide a “greater capacity” of cars. In the design and access statement, the applicants said the homes would add a “meaningful contribution” to the housing needs for the area.
They added: “Occupiers of these dwellings will benefit from being in immediate walking distance to the church, primary school, pub and village hall and the dwellings will be located where they will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities.”
Land at the back of the pub has been vacant and unused for sometime. Despite comments of support, describing plans for a pub garden as a “welcome addition” and the additional housing being “beneficial” for the village, the plans were refused.
South Cambridgeshire District Council said the plans would cause “significant harm” to the rural character of the village. The council added: “The proposal would through the imposition of hardstanding and residential development within a rural and open landscape, adversely impact and urbanise the rural and open character of the site.”
As the pub is in a conservation area, the council also believed it would affect the “special qualities” of the area. It added that it would “negatively impact” the surrounding area, and it would result in a “moderate less than substantial harm to the grade II listed pub and cottages”.
Previous plans have been refused for similar applications. In 2021, plans were refused to build six homes also due to harm to the area’s character.
A year later, more plans were submitted to build four homes and a car park, but these were again refused. These were refused on the grounds of “impact on heritage assets”.