Plans to turn a historic pub in Chatham into a house of multiple occupation (HMO) have been given the green light - as it was decided the proposal was the only way to save the building's future. The Lord Duncan pub in New Road, which has been vacant for more than 45 years, is set to become a HMO containing 10 bedrooms with shared kitchens, a laundry room and communal space. Medway Council refused planning permission last year after it determined the internal alterations would be "unsympathetic and unnecessarily harmful to the significance of the listed building". However, developers received the go-ahead following a successful appeal to the government's Planning Inspectorate. Inspector Simon Hand said the conversion to residential use was “inevitable” and the “only way to find a viable way forward for the building which requires extensive repairs to ensure its future”. The dilapidated pub is believed to be vacant since 1974, the year in which the building became Grade II-listed. Following a council intervention in 2013, the previous owner began restoration works, although this only included some roof repairs and new weatherboard timbers. The works progressed slowly and eventually stalled in 2019 when the previous owner of the building died. In 2020, it was purchased - supposedly unseen - by a buyer for £115,000 at auction, who later found it had been stripped of all internal finishes. The inspector noted that extensive internal works should only be carried out once external works had made the building watertight. It is believed the building was built in the late 1700s as a town house, before becoming a pub by 1824. The pub was named after Admiral Duncan of the Royal Navy, who defeated the Dutch fleet off Camperdown and Egmont in 1795. In 1872, records showed the pub had a full licence and was owned by Edward Winch of Chatham and of brewery Style and Winch. The building offers extensive accommodation with the ground floor still housing the front bar and servery, separate saloon bar and two rooms at the back.
On the first floor there is a double length room and two smaller rooms, while the top floor has a further five rooms off a landing. The inspector set an 18-month deadline for a listed building enforcement notice (LBEN) to be carried out, which includes wall repairs. Planning permission for the pub's conversion and further restoration works will expire after three years.
Lord Duncan
7/7/2022 02:21:53
Its sad to see this old weatherboard style building (classic style of the area) fall into such disrepair. But realistically it is completely surrounded by an ugly commercial area comprising the Post Office distribution center and has nothing but a small yard at the back.. It was the remains of a bomb damaged area from WW2. Nothing reasonable could be done to make it a creditable restoration project. It would still only ever be an oddity stuck in a commercial car park. Given that prospect ON PAPER it seems that a HMO might make some sustainable use as an alternative to demolition or flogging a dead horse.. The structure is largely wooden with a masonry facade. How this will meet fire regulations for a HMO remains to be seen when detail plans emerge - if they ever do as the cold reality of this project becomes apparent.- eg a steel fire escape at the rear. I live near one of these former pubs converted (tastefully) into a HMO and a neighbour's daughter lived in it for 6 months. It became a nightmare. As tenants came and went and civilised existence became impossible due to drugs,violence and prostitution. Shared kitchens and laundry facilities might work for a Student Hall of residence where tenants are supervised by a credible authority with powers of speedy eviction coupled with the need by students who want to live in a safe environment. This is not sustainable for single person young or middle aged that are likely to be wishing to rent in that area of Chatham - we all know what I mean, I'm sure. So IMHO it can only degenerate into a sordid doss house - no matter how well intentioned the owner might be (as in my experience I cited earlier). As they say you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Comments are closed.
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