Developer seeks permission to knock down north Derbyshire village's boarded-up pub and replace with block of flats

Gurinder Mathoon wants to construct a block of 12 flats on Bridge Street, Pilsley at the site of the boarded-up Commercial Inn which has been vandalised and is no longer in a fit state after closing several years ago.

The applicant’s proposal submitted to North East Derbyshire District Council indicates a mixture of one and two bedroom apartments.

Paul Shaw, who has lived on Bridge Street next door to the pub for 60 years, says in a letter sent on behalf of his wife and he: “We think this is a step forward but have some things that need to be added. The bin store is too close to our property and needs to be sited halfway along the rear of the land. An 8ft high solid fence needs to be put along the side of the site between it and our property to help with light and sound of cars parking up towards our property which sits approximately one metre below the level of the site. Some kind of electric gate at the car entrance so that only people living in the aoartments can use the parking area.”

The Shaws also say that the sewer for the public house is not big enough for 12 apartments. “If used will cause a problem as it takes the three properties above the public house and comes through our property,” their letter states. “When the public house was open we did have problems on a number of times.”

In December 2018, the planning authority rejected a bid for the pub to be demolished and a residential care and nursing home erected on the site. The application was refused on the grounds that the scale, massing and design of the scheme were out of keeping with the surrounding area, there was insufficient recreational space, neighbouring dwellings would have loss of privacy and there was insufficient parking provision.

Built in the 19th century as a hotel and also used as an auction house, the building became a pub in the early Sixties when significant storm damage resulted in the second floor being removed.