Pub up for sale after latest planning application failed

Appellant Terry Elliott wanted to convert the historic pub into a house, and turn an outbuilding into a garage and storage space.

But Central Bedfordshire Council’s development management committee refused planning permission in July 2022, before the case went to appeal.

In a social media post, Independent Biggleswade West Cllr Hayley Whitaker said: “You may have seen the iconic Biggleswade landmark of The Red Lion pub is back up for sale.

“The building is on the market for offers in excess of £750,000. So will anyone buy it? The property has something of a chequered past after it was purchased by developers UK Regeneration Limited with promises to convert it into a community building and orangery.

“However, the company went into liquidation and the mortgage company placed the increasingly dilapidated pub on the market for just £425,000 in October 2021.

“The purchasers then applied to turn the pub into a property and submitted a series of planning applications taking access off The Baulk, seemingly with a long-term view to use the current car park for further development.

“All of those planning applications were rejected. The government’s planning inspectorate agreed with CBC in February by upholding the decisions to refuse permission for residential development.

“Meanwhile, works on both the exterior and interior of the building by the owners led to a flurry of complaints and an enforcement investigation by CBC.

“The rationale for planning refusal was that the property hadn’t been marketed as a business concern for long enough to show it wasn’t viable as a going concern,” she explained.

“This is necessary because it’s in a central location and planning laws aim to make it difficult for business premises to be eroded over time to keep our town centre vibrant and welcoming.

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“So is £750,000 a realistic price? A quick property search identifies several Grade II listed pubs with similar car parks on the market for around the £500,000 mark in neighbouring towns.

“If the property doesn’t sell at that price, can they apply for planning permission again in the future?

“Planners tell me they would look at the marketing which had taken place and establish if the valuation was realistic, before deciding if it could be classed as being marketed appropriately.

“Even if the price was deemed appropriate, further concerns around access and noise would still need to be overcome for this to become a residential site.”

CBC’s deputy leader councillor Whitaker added: “Here’s hoping someone snaps it up for an exciting commercial venture.”

In March, Barry Price, who chairs east Bedfordshire CAMRA group, described the appeal decision as “vindication for local efforts to preserve a vital community asset”.

He said: “We know there’s been interest in returning the Red Lion to a community pub. I hope the next step will be getting it back on the market at a realistic price.”