North Derbyshire bar's expansion plan includes new outdoor seating area and increased accommodation indoors
Owners of a north Derbyshire bar are aiming to expand customer accommodation by extending into an adjacent empty retail unit and creating an outdoor seating area.
Nicola Ward of the Underdog Bar, Chesterfield Road, Dronfield has applied to North East Derbyshire District Council for change of use permission for the former Carpeteer shop premises and consent to convert the unit.
The applicant wants to make a flexible space for functions/extra seating indoors and develop an external courtyard. The existing business has no outside space for people to sit.
Features in the proposed courtyard would pay a nod to the steelworks of Dronfield and the invention of stainless steel in Sheffield.
The existing red entrance door and side screens facing Chesterfield Road would to be removed, part blocked up and new window provided to match the design of the existing Underdog bar.
A statement prepared by Ward Architecture Ltd, which has been submitted to the council, says: “The original Underdog Bar opened in September 2019 and has gone from strength to strength (even through the COVID pandemic) and has become a very successful business that Dronfield can and should be proud of. As such, when the opportunity arose to expand into the adjacent unit it was too good an opportunity to pass by. Also, whilst expanding the business it also provides an opportunity to make the existing properties facing Chesterfield Road holistic in design.”
Neighbours, adjacent businesses and members of the public showed their support for the proposal when a meeting was held at the Underdog Bar in June. Among the comment forms filled in by 43 attendees, 100% were in favour. Comments included: “This looks absolutely fantastic and tidies up this section of Chesterfield Road” and “The only thing lacking at The Underdog is outside space, this proposal will provide that.”
The CIvic Society was unable to attend the meeting but its chairman Bernard Caddy later emailed: “The Civic Society is always keen to see buildings in active economic use, and so pleased to hear of your expansion plans. The drawings and details show alterations that are well thought out, sympathetic to the existing buildings and the local street-scene. Our only caution would be whether the outdoor area could become a noise nuisance for the residential properties opposite. It’s quite a small area and it seems unlikely, but it’s something you might want to address in the planning application ahead of any comments and concerns.”
In his submission to the council on July 23, principal environmental health officer John Mills wrote: “I can confirm that I have no objection in principal.”