Plans to convert former Stafford pub into restaurant and HMO rejected

The Tavern, on the corner of Greengate Street and Mill Bank, has been shut and boarded up for many years.

A three and a half storey side extension and rear extension were previously proposed for the three storey building in 2016 but the plans were later withdrawn because of concerns about the scale and design of the alterations.

A fresh application for a three storey side extension and two and a half storey rear extension was later put forward, with the intention of creating a restaurant on the ground floor and seating and function area on the first floor. Shared housing was planned for the first and second floors, with a self-contained flat on the third floor.

Planning officers have refused permission for the latest proposals, saying the extension would cause “undue harm to the amenity” of residents living in flats at The Mills on Mill Bank.

The refusal notice added: “Failure to demonstrate that an appropriate and adequate bin storage facility could be provided within the site would result in undue harm to the character and appearance of the area due to the increased likelihood of refuse and recycling being stored in prominent locations around the application site.”

A resident of The Mills objected to the plans. They said: “I am alarmed by the proposed development of the proposed addition of the 2+ dormer section and first floor overhang at the rear of the site. My apartment is the north-east corner of the first floor and has only two sources of natural light; the main source from the Juliet balcony windows facing the Post House and a second in the bedroom which faces the rear of The Tavern.

“As such I feel the light levels would be diminished considerably, especially during morning hours. Additionally access to this window and the bedroom window of the flat directly above would be lost and therefore impossible to clean.”