'Our pub bid has a future' in face of conversion plan

A CAMPAIGN to save a historic village pub from being turned into housing has intensified, as locals rally behind plans to bring it into community ownership.

- LEWIS CLARKE

‘The Britannia Inn, the only pub serving East Wells and nearby villages, is at the centre of a heated planning dispute. ‘The Wellington Pub Company Limited has submitted a proposal to Somerset Council to convert the pub into a private four-bedroom home and build four more houses in the garden. Access to the new properties would be via the existing car park.

Planning documents describe the scheme as a “modest, high-quality” redevelopment of previously developed land. ‘The site, which has been closed since June 2021, is described by the applicant as no longer viable for commercial use, despite efforts to lease and then sell the premises. A viability report submitted alongside the application argues there is “no likelihood of a viable community use’.