THE owners of a multi-award-winning pub in Herriard have applied to convert the tavern into a house after 'unprecedented difficulties'.

Peter and Fran Whitehead, owners of the Fur and Feathers, have applied for permission to turn the pub into a house. 

Peter called the change of use an “insurance policy”, saying: “It just gives us options.”

He continued: “Currently the government support is woefully insufficient to come anywhere close to us to conduct our business in a profitable manner or even a reasonable loss-making manner for a short period of time.

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“Our energy price increases, even with the discount that they have announced, would be such that we couldn’t possibly make this building work as a pub.”

Peter said that the decision to apply for a change of use came about due to a combination of the cost-of-living crisis, Covid-19, and the site of the pub no longer being fit for purpose.

He said: “You have to understand the last two-and-a-half years have thrown difficulties at this industry which are completely unprecedented.

“And you put that on top of a woefully inadequate site – our site was built in 1850 for the entertainment of farm workers, it’s obscenely cheaply made and not particularly good quality.

“For example, we have no disabled toilet facilities, and it would be prohibitively expensive for us to create those, we have no baby changing facilities.

“So, you look at a lot of the basic standards that people require of a modern establishment, we are struggling to maintain those basic standards that people expect or unable to provide them.”

The pub also saw a loss of trade when public transport links from Basingstoke to Herriard were shut down.

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Peter and Fran are currently exploring other directions that they can take the business in, with ideas ranging from turning the pub into a cookery school, a micropub, or transitioning into catering events.

Member of Herriard Parish Council Simon Wells said: “The parish council were surprised to see that an application had been made for the conversion of The Fur and Feathers Public House into a residential dwelling, without any prior discussion with the village or the council.

“We are strongly opposed to the application, a position shared by many members of the local community who have already expressed concern to us."

More information about the application can be found by visiting planning.basingstoke.gov.uk/online-applications and entering reference 22/02688/FUL.