Cannock Chase District Council last night approved plans to demolish the former Ascot Tavern pub in Cannock and build a new convenience shop and micro pub.

Pegasus Group worked closely with the local authority to secure permission on behalf of Globe Homes Ltd for the scheme, that crucially included detailed reports demonstrating that the cost of refurbishment and current market conditions meant the reuse of the building as a pub was unlikely to be viable.

David Pickford, Senior Planner at Pegasus Group’s Birmingham office, said: “We are extremely pleased that our consultations with the local authority and detailed background reports have resulted in this positive outcome for Globe Homes Ltd.

“The site on Longford Road had been vacant for more than two years, and it is clear it was no longer a ‘valued’ community facility and had no prospect of being reused as a public house. As demonstrated in the Economic Viability Report, reuse of the existing building as a public house was unlikely to be viable with consideration to a variety of factors such as the site’s location, existing condition and layout; operating costs; funding issues; market demand; and trade potential.

“Crucially, the approved plans include a micro pub and a local shopping facility and as such the proposed redevelopment will not result in the loss of a community facility, only the replacement of one community facility with two new ones.”

The food retail unit will be occupied by The Co-operative Group to provide a neighbourhood food convenience store, with the potential for 20-25 new jobs to be created that will boost the local economy.

The micro pub allows an element of Use Class A4 to be retained and will be put on the market to attract potential pub operators. It provides an exciting opportunity for the increasingly popular micro-pub movement and the provision of a free-house capable of offering a range of cask ales and beers.

Construction is set to start later this year with the development completed in 2020.

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