Four apartments in a pub at Black Horse Inn, Stansted, Sevenoaks

What was proposed

The application proposed four apartments within part of the public house, with parking, shared amenity space and the existing access retained.

“Description of Proposal: Planning permission is sought for the change of use of part of the existing public house to form 2 x 1 bed and 2 x 2 bed apartments. The part change of use would involve the conversion of part of the ground floor of the public house (dining room, kitchen and store) to form 2 no.1 bed studio apartments. These apartments would be accessed via an existing door on the southern elevation.”

“Access to the rear terrace / beer garden remains the same. The entrance to the public house would be via the existing entrance. Outdoor seating to the front of the reduced public house would remain. 2.”

Officer report

The site and its history

The site is a public house in the countryside and Green Belt; it closed in October 2024 and the whole site was vacant from July 2025.

“Part 1 Public of a public house or indeed to support the case for reducing the size of the existing public house. It is also considered the design is poor and not in keeping with the local vernacular. The Site: The site comprises a detached public house located on the western side of Tumblefield Road within the Countryside and Metropolitan Green Belt.”

Officer report

What people said

The parish council and residents objected that the scheme would damage the community pub, reduce viability, harm heritage, create noise and worsen parking.

“Stanstead Parish Council: Object - The result of the application would be to leave the public house with a small 65 sqm bar with no kitchen and no ancillary manager accommodation in a rural location and the loss of tourist accommodation.”

“Part 1 Public - It’s also an absolute shame that the local community should lose the pub as for many years the pub has been a focal point for the local residents to meet and this type of establishment brings a community together. - The community will lose an important social amenity. - The scheme would harm a valued community asset, reduce viable pub space and facilities, and undermine policies intended to protect local services.”

Officer report

Who spoke

The parish council, the agent, a project steering group representative and members of the public addressed the committee.

The committee vote

The committee unanimously supported a motion to refuse the application.

“It was proposed by Councillor R Betts, seconded by Councillor M Taylor and unanimously supported by the Committee, that the application be refused.”

“RESOLVED: That planning permission be REFUSED for the following reasons:”

Minutes

Why permission was refused

Permission was refused because the remaining community facility was not shown to be adequate and the proposal conflicted with national policy protecting community services.

“(1) The proposed development would result in the loss of part of the premises last used for the provision of community services and it had not been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Council that the remaining facility was of an adequate scale to meet the identified significant need or of a size that was adequate to support the community facility contrary to Core Strategy Policy CP26; and…”

“(2) The proposal was contrary to Paragraph 98 (c) of the National Planning Policy Framework, in that the building provided a social recreation, cultural facility and service to the community.”

Minutes