CONTROVERSIAL plans to redevelop a former village pub into homes have been thrown out.

The proposal, which was first submitted in 2021, outlined plans to change the Castle pub in Earls Colne High Street into three homes.

The Castle is a large two-storey building which was originally built as a house.

The applicant says it hoped to “return it to its original residential use”.

It is Grade II listed and within the Earls Colne conservation area, with the site also including the pub car park and beer garden to the rear.

The pub closed in spring 2018, two years before the impact of Covid enforced closures and loss of pubs previously operating viably.

The application says the applicant’s primary business is owning and running restaurants and bars in Colchester, and there would be “no potential to operate the Castle as a pub and restaurant to meet modern dining expectations and standards”.

It continued: “The existing building is incapable of providing between 80-100 covers, which is a reasonable minimum ‘industrial' benchmark for viability.

“Given the limited floorspace, to completely remove and replace the sub-standard kitchens, toilets and interiors, along with renovating the listed building itself, would be unviable.”

The proposal is to sub-divide the pub and its adjoining buildings into three self-contained homes, as well as building two houses to the rear of the car park.

The Castle would become one four-bedroom, one three-bedroom and one two-bedroom homes.

The new builds would be semi-detached, one and a half storey four and three-bedroom homes.

Earls Colne Parish Council had objected to the applications.

Concerns included “adverse impact on neighbouring properties”, “issues with the number of parking spaces” and a “potential accident black spot along what is a very busy road”.

In a planning meeting last week, Braintree Council turned down the plans, unanimously voting to reject the proposal.