News / st george
Disappointment for campaigners as plans to turn St George pub into flats approved
Councillors made an impassioned plea to the Government to help save community pubs as they approved plans to turn a historic Bristol hostelry into flats.
The decision signals defeat for a campaign to save the Three Crowns in St George, which will be converted into nine homes despite 60 objections.
Residents thought they had secured the pub’s future after successfully having the building, in Blackswarth Road, designated as an Asset of Community Value, which is supposed to give some protection against development.
is needed now More than ever
Community group Save The Three Crowns also convinced the city council to give the establishment “locally listed” status in a bid to thwart a change-of-use application.
But development control committee members followed officers’ recommendations and unanimously granted permission for the plans on Wednesday, September 25.
Mike Davies, a Labour councillor for Ashley, told the meeting: “We see a lot of proposals relating to former pubs and it’s always quite sad.
“We have two pubs a day closing in the UK.
“That is to do with changes in habit of younger people but I also think the Government should be supporting community pubs by reforming business rates and alcohol duties.
“Unfortunately, they have not made much progress on doing that.
“I do understand the disappointment of the local community, particularly in the context of it being an Asset of Community Value, but refusing applications like this is not going to stop pubs closing down.
“I cannot see any planning reason to refuse it, and it seems quite a sympathetic treatment of the existing building, which is really beautiful.”
The Pineapple in the city centre is another pub to be turned into flats
Don Alexander, a Labour councillor for Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston, said: “I appreciate it’s a loss but there are other pubs in the area.
“In Lawrence Weston we just lost the last pub for the whole estate, so that’s a measure of a much wider problem which is complex and to do with people’s behaviours and financial situations.
“Certainly, St George is better off than many other areas, if that is any comfort.”
Their Labour colleague Harriet Bradley, a councillor for Brislington West, said: “I like the way the pub frontage has been incorporated into the design and I like the tree planting at the back.
“This produces what I consider to be decent quality flats.
“The only thing that does worry me is the parking because we know what a problem parking is in all residential areas of Bristol.”
Sultan Khan, a Lib Dem councillor for Eastville, said: “This application has clearly met the space standard and has been supported by all the local organisations.
“There are a number of pubs in Church Road and it’s quite closely linked to public transport.”
The committee was told Bristol deputy mayor and St George West ward councillor Asher Craig originally lodged an objection to the scheme.
But planning officer Natalie Queffurus told members: “More recently councillor Craig has confirmed she is no longer objecting and her position to the proposal is neutral.”
Design plans of the flats to be built on the site of the Three Crowns pub in St George
Developer William Woodward, of London, changed the designs, which include a three-storey extension on the former car park and beer garden but no parking, to address officers’ concerns and will spend £40,000 on highway improvements in the area.
A report to the committee said the loss of the pub was considered acceptable as there were six others within walking distance.
In its objection, Save The Three Crowns said the pub had served the community for 200 years and had had a “vibrant” atmosphere.
It objected on the grounds of overdevelopment, parking issues, neighbours being overlooked and the loss of the area’s last community pub.
Adam Postans is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
Read more: Historic St George pub set to be turned into flats
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
