Home can be built in car park of Long Sutton's The Olde Ship Inn

A home can now be built in the car park of a town pub after planners gave the scheme the green light.

South Holland District Council has approved a plan to build one single storey dwelling at the back of The Olde Ship Inn, in London Road in Long Sutton.

The application - lodged by Mockba Modular - has been tweaked from two properties to one - with the proposed home due to have three bedrooms, a bathroom and an open plan kitchen/dining/lounge area.

A report drawn up by planning officers said: "Concerns have been raised by the parish council and a local councillor with regards to loss of parking for the pub.

"The concerns are noted, however, the Local Highways Authority has not raised any concerns in this respect. It has advised that although the proposal would result in a reduction in parking spaces to the existing car park for the public house, Lincolnshire County Council does not have adopted parking standards and considers each application on its own merits.

"Whilst it is possible that the public house may result in more parking demand than there are spaces, there is parking available on the highway in the vicinity and it is therefore not considered that this proposal would result in an unacceptable impact on highway safety."

The pub was up for auction for £300,000-350,000 earlier this year - but that sale is now classed as 'postponed' by Auction House East Anglia.

In granting this application, officers concluded: "The proposal is in a sustainable location for new housing.

"It is considered, on balance, that a single dwelling would not materially harm the character or appearance of the locality, the adjacent listed building nor would the proposal materially harm the amenity of neighbouring residents in terms of lack of privacy, overshadowing, overbearing effect, noise and disturbance, etc.

"LCC Highways have been consulted and have raised no objections on highway safety grounds. The proposal satisfies the sequential/exceptions tests in terms of flood risk.

"On balance, no adverse impact of granting permission would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of doing so, when assessed against the planning policies taken as a whole."