Plans to turn empty Mansfield pub into flats have been refused

A planning application had been submitted to Mansfield Council, seeking permission to turn the former Pheasant Inn, on Chesterfield Road South, into four apartments on the first and second floor.

In a planning document, AK Innovative Design Solution, on behalf of applicant Ricky Dhir, said: “The site has been redundant due to little or no interest from investors within this industry. The client wishes to upgrade the internals and bring the site back up and running.

“The site has been redundant for some time and not in use, Our client will bring life into the site to create residential living spaces.

“The client has tried to market the current use, which has not had any interest. The only interest was in 2021 from Starbucks which did not go ahead.

“The change of use will help the site and the local population with an opportunity to cater for a range of business which can be operated here.”

The proposals would have seen the ground floor “cater for the general public”, while the first and second floors would have been turned into three one-bedroom apartments and a two-bedroom apartment.

The range of listed potential uses for the ground floor included shops, cafés and restaurants, estate or employment agencies and banks or building societies.

However, the council has rejected the plans, saying – citing a lack of evidence that it could no longer be run as a pub.

A council statement said: “The applicant has not demonstrated the existing use of the premises as a public house is no longer viable, or that there are appropriate replacement facilities within the area.

"No evidence has been presented to show the Pheasant Inn has been marketed as a public house for at least six months through an estate agents or the council’s regeneration service.

“The proposal has not demonstrated the development cannot be accommodated within the town centre and therefore it has the potential to undermine available sites within the town centre boundary and insufficient evidence has been submitted to demonstrate the existing access arrangement is safe in highway terms to accommodate the proposed use.

“Nor has the applicant demonstrated the amount of parking provision on offer would be of sufficient capacity for the proposed new use.”