Gosport pub gets permission to become housing

An artist's impression of the development for the former Barley Mow site, in Gosport.

The Barley Mow in Ann’s Hill Road, Gosport, will be turned into seven homes. It closing last April.

The planning application for three two-bedroom houses, a two-bedroom maisonette, two one-bedroom flats and a bedsit was approved by Gosport Borough Council’s regulatory board.

But ward councillor Rob Hylands is concerned the approval could see other closed pubs become housing.

As previously reported in The News, the Middlecroft pub on Grange Crescent, has closed and residents are worried about what it could be turned into.

Cllr Hylands, who is the landlord of The Foresters Arms in Ann’s Hill Road, said: ‘Listening to why the board approved the Barley Mow application, they have assumed the pub has a number of parking spaces whether they are real or not.

‘So, when someone wants to build houses the officers assume there is already parking there. That means parking doesn’t become an issue.

‘It will be the same for the Middlecroft pub. If an application is submitted, because it has a car park, it will be assumed houses can fit there.

‘The whole ward has an issue with parking because there aren’t enough spaces.

‘Seven houses but only four parking spaces at the Barley Mow site is not enough.’

Officers recommended to grant permission for the plans. On parking, the report said: ‘There are existing double-yellow lines along the Brougham Street and in front of the proposed parking and it is not considered that this proposal would result in the loss of any on-street parking.

‘While there is a shortfall in the parking provision for the site, in comparison to the level of parking needed for the pub and residential use, where there is no existing parking, the proposals provide an improved level of parking over the existing situation.’

Council leader Mark Hook voted against the application.

He said he did not understand why the officers recommended approval for this plan, which had seven properties and four parking spaces, but recommended to refuse a different plan for Camden Street which had seven properties and 10 parking spaces.