Five residential dwellings at The New Inn, Main Road, Totton

What was proposed

The application sought five homes by converting the public house into three dwellings and adding two semi-detached homes in its rear garden.

“Planning Committee12 November 2025 Application Number:25/10601Full Planning Permission Site:THE NEW INN, MAIN ROAD, TOTTON SO40 7EP Development: Erection of two semi-detached residential dwellings (Use Class C3) and change of use of Public House (Sui generis) to allow for conversion into three self-contained residential dwellings (Use Class C3), with external alterations and associated hard and soft landscaping.”

“The surrounding area is primarily one of residential uses, although there is a local convenience store sited adjacent to the public house. Hounsdown Secondary School is also located close to the site. 3PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT The application proposes the conversion of the public house to 3no. dwellinghouses, each providing a kitchen, living space and 3 bedrooms accessed from Jacobs Gutter Lane/Spicers Hill.”

Officer report

The site and surroundings

The site was a late-nineteenth-century public house in a mainly residential area, with parking at the front and a garden extending to Jacobs Walk.

“The site is occupied by a public house, which is a sui generis use, and has parking for approximately 7 vehicles at the front of the pub. The New Inn is a late-19th century former coaching inn and has been run as a public house continuously since its construction. The pub was renamed 'The Red Deer' in the late 20th century but has since returned to its original name.”

Officer report

Planning history

There was no directly relevant planning history.

“4PLANNING HISTORY None directly relevant 5PLANNING POLICY AND GUIDANCE Local Plan 2016-2036 Part 1: Planning Strategy Policy CCC1: Safe and healthy communities Policy CCC2: Safe and sustainable travel Policy ECON1: Employment land and development Policy ECON2: Retention of employment sites and consideration of alternative uses Policy ENV3: Design quality and local distinctiveness Policy ENV4: Landscape character and quality Policy HOU1: Housing type, size, tenure and choice…”

Officer report

Who spoke

The agent, two objectors and the ward councillor took part in the committee item.

The committee decision

The committee refused the application because it would remove an important local facility and leave Hounsdown without a public house.

“The proposed development of this site which seeks to convert the public house to three dwellings and the provision of 2 additional dwellings within the rear pub garden area, would result in the loss of an important local facility and would leave the local area of Hounsdown without such a facility, reinforced by the objections from local people that have been received during the course of the application.”

Minutes

Why permission was refused

The committee also found that recreational and air-quality impacts on protected European sites would not be adequately mitigated.

“The recreational impacts of the proposed development on the New Forest Special Area of Conservation, the New Forest Special Protection Area, the New Forest Ramsar site, the Solent and Southampton Water Special Protection Area, the Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site, and the Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation would not be adequately mitigated and the proposed development would therefore unacceptably increase recreational pressures on these sensitive…”

Minutes