Plans to convert a former pub constructing into a dwelling have been objected to by a nationwide pub marketing campaign group.
An application for The Wheatsheaf Inn, Dry Doddington, was submitted to South Kesteven District Council in January this yr, and is at the moment awaiting determination by the authority.
Owner Barry Woodward, of Tavern Group Properties Ltd, desires to change change the usage of the constructing from a public house to a single four-bedroom household dwelling.
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Planning paperwork acknowledged the constructing had “a lack of demand as a pub”, noting that “rising costs, declining rural trade, and competition from nearby pubs have made the business unsustainable”.
The constructing, a conventional rendered two-story constructing, has been marketed for sale for greater than 18 months each domestically and nationally with no curiosity, regardless of the worth being decreased by £150,000 over that point.
Other makes use of, comparable to a store or cafe had been thought-about, the application acknowledged, however wouldn’t be commercially viable — whereas conversion to a dwelling “contributes to local housing supply and secures the long-term future of a redundant building”.
Minustes from the Grantham CAMRA department assembly in July 2025 famous that current members have been in settlement the proprietor had “tried everything within his abilities to keep the pub open and that it wasn’t viable in the local area at this time”, with this together with pool and skittles, a massive projector display for sporting occasions, reside music, and free stop-overs for motorhomes.
Since its closure, the constructing can also be mentioned to have confronted issued with trespassing and prison injury leading to it being boarded up.
The proposals goal to keep the character of the constructing externally, with inner alterations to type residing areas within the downstairs bar space, and the present flat upstairs.
This would come with a video games room, open plan kitchen-diner, dwelling workplace, lounge, a household lavatory, and 4 bedrooms.
Two public consultations have been run by the proprietor, in search of residents’ views on the way forward for the constructing, and have been reported to have few responses.
However, a variety of feedback of objection and concern have been submitted on the council’s planning portal by residents — who made claims that the present proprietor took on the premises “solely to convert it to a residential property”, and famous “huge support within the village and surrounding area to once again allow our public house to flourish and continue under a new committed owner”.
The closure of the pub was additionally mentioned to have “fractured” the neighborhood, and fears have been raised the approval of the application would make the closure everlasting.
An action group, ‘Save The Wheatsheaf Inn’, has additionally been established to characterize residents and defend a neighborhood asset, with greater than 60 members.
The group acknowledged their perception it could possibly be a “viable business if it was a well-managed and diversified pub offering good customer service” and claimed the pub had been marketed at an “unrealistic price” which accounted for the dearth of curiosity.
It added: “The local community have always strongly supported village events and view The Wheatsheaf Inn as the social hub of the village.”
Now, The Campaign for Pubs — a UK-wide grassroots marketing campaign group — has added its voice to the combat and objected to the plans.
Marianne Langley, a member of the marketing campaign’s planning staff, mentioned: “That this pub was until recently a valued and popular community facility is evidenced by the considerable efforts of residents to prevent its loss, including Asset of Community Value applications, the formation of the Save the Wheatsheaf Inn group and numerous objections to this and previous planning applications”.
Mrs Langley highlighted that the proposal contravenes the South Kesteven District Council native plan necessities for retaining neighborhood services and as such the application must be refused.
She added: “We are fully behind the Save the Wheatsheaf Inn campaign. As a Lincolnshire resident I have been a patron of the Wheatsheaf on a number of occasions and it’s a fabulous and cherished amenity. I hope that the council will refuse this unreasonable and unnecessary planning application.”
