Landmark pub in Huthwaite set for demolition to make way for 23 flats

The Peacock Hotel, which sits at the Main Street/Chesterfield Road/Market Street crossroads, dates back to 1832 and played an integral part of village life.

But it closed down suddenly in May last year and has been empty ever since, threatening to deteriorate into a derelict eyesore.

Now a planning application has been submitted to Ashfield District Council to tear it down and build 23 one-bedroom, two-person residential flats on the 0.381-acre site.

The application has been pieced together by the Halsall Lloyd Partnership, an architect and design company which has offices in Nottingham. It insists the project would be a boost for Huthwaite.

In a planning statement, Halsall Lloyd says: “The Peacock Hotel has been closed and empty for more than a year, and the building is no longer viable for commercial use.

"This proposal provides a valuable opportunity to regenerate the site with housing that meets local needs.”

The building is a two-storey, brick-built property that comprised the pub on the ground floor and domestic accommodation upstairs. Outside, there was a beer garden and a car park for 14 vehicles.

The developers say the revitalisation project would feature “high-quality, energy-efficient homes, adopting a fabric-first approach”.

"Materials have been selected to reflect the local character and to enhance the streetscape, ensuring the development integrates sensitively within its surroundings,” the statement goes on.

The proposal also features landscaping, on-site parking, including accessible bays, refuse storage and cycle storage, while retaining the existing vehicle-access via Boots Yard.

Halsall Lloyd concludes: “The proposal represents a sustainable and contextually appropriate redevelopment that would bring a long-vacant site back into active use, providing much-needed housing in a well-served location.”

The Peacock Hotel was just the latest in a long list of Huthwaite pubs that have closed over the past 20 years or so. Others have included the Miners Arms, the Portland Arms, the Shoulder Of Mutton, the Workpeople’s Inn, the White Hart and the White Lion.

The council’s planning officers are currently considering the Peacock scheme and are aiming to make a decision or recommendation by the deadline date of Thursday, September 18.

Interested residents can post their comments on the council’s website.