One of Farndon’s oldest pubs will be demolished to make way for a new shopping and residential development.
Parish councillors say they are pleased that the ‘eyesore’ site of the Nags Head pub has now been granted permission to be razed to make way for the new scheme.
The pub has lain redundant and boarded up since it closed in 2007 after it fell into ‘disrepair’, but Rofft Developers will now breathe new life into the site with a view to creating ‘positive changes’ into the community.
Owners Rofft Developments 2000 Limited will convert the pub into two ground floor retail shops, including a beauty salon, with a mix of one and two bedroom apartments on the above floors and at the rear of the building.
Stables at the back of the pub will be turned into a business unit with an apartment, and the derelict barn is to be transformed into a four bedroomed house.
Three mews properties will be built where the old courtyard used to be, all complete with refuse and recycling areas.
The scheme aims to recognise both the attraction and sustainability of village centre living by embracing open market housing together with smaller affordable homes for rent.
Suzy Pollard, clerk of Farndon Parish Council, said: “The parish council have not objected to any of this planning application and have supported it all from the start.
“The overall opinion is that this is a very positive development for the village, in that anything has to be better than how it looks at the moment.
“It has had silver boards on it for the past few years and is something of an eyesore.
“There will be more people coming into the village because of it but as far as parking concerns go, I don’t feel there will be any more traffic congestion than there is already.”
She added: “Sometimes the high street can get quite congested but it is like that in most villages.
“All in all, we have no objections to what we see as a positive development.”
Mr Palamarczuk said: “ It has taken us a long time to get here.
“Because it’s a conservation area we’ve had to go through a lot of paperwork with the council but ultimately, everything we have done is to create a positive facility for the village.”
For any enquiries, contact Rofft on 01244 570707.”
