Proposals have been put forward to convert a landmark riverside pub used in several TV shows into a home.
The application has been submitted by the current owners of The Spaniards Inn. Known also as The Crooked Spaniards, The pub has been closed to the public since 2008 but was utilised as a wedding venue by previous owners. The establishment is well-known for its appearances in several ITV and BBC television series, including ITV's 2020 series starring Dawn French.
The plans submitted to Cornwall Council propose the conversion of the former pub on the ground floor into a two-bedroom flat. The existing three-bedroom manager's accommodation on the first floor would retain its current layout but would be separate from the ground floor, remaining as a self-contained flat.
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Previous attempts to redevelop The Spaniards Inn on Fore Street in Cargreen, Saltash, have not been successful, with the most recent proposal to convert it into a dwelling being rejected in 2023. In 2016, plans to demolish an existing two-storey and single-storey extension and replace them with a new restaurant, eight residential units and a pontoon were also turned down.
Similar proposals for redeveloping the site to provide seven and four holiday units respectively, along with creating a pontoon, were turned down in 2012 and 2010. Earlier attempts to convert it into a residence in the early 2000s were also turned down, reports .
A planning and design statement reveals that the 2023 application to transform the pub into a dwelling was rejected because it would "result in the loss of a valuable community facility within a well populated rural village location which could, if re-opened, contribute to the social and economic wellbeing of the local community".
Nevertheless, the fresh application argues that reopening the pub would require refurbishing the existing kitchen and ventilation system, plus associated electrical work, at a total cost of £145,528.80. This means it is "simply not viable or reasonable to seek to retain the site as a public house and the most appropriate use for the site is residential".
Furthermore, it notes that following the rejection of the previous application, the applicant has put the property and business up for sale on the open market. It is presently listed with Fine and Country Plymouth at a guide price of £1.5 million.
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Despite 12 months of marketing, however, there has been no interest from the open market in purchasing the property as a business/going concern. Since the submission of the latest planning application on July 9, it has received just three objections from the public on the council's planning portal.
One objector highlighted the historical significance of The Spaniards: "The Spaniards has historically (since the 16th Century) served as a vital social hub for the local area, particularly in a rural setting where such facilities are already scarce. Pubs in rural communities are more than businesses; they are centres for connection, events and informal support networks. Once lost, they are almost impossible to replace and the community heart is suffering with its closure."
They added: "There may be opportunities for the building to be revived under new ownership, run as a community enterprise or diversified into a multi-use space (e.g. pub/shop/café). These options have not been fully considered or offered to local residents.
"Granting permission to convert the pub to residential use could set a dangerous precedent for similar developments in other small communities across Cornwall, further eroding the rural infrastructure that residents rely on."
Another member of the public opposing the plans remarked on the pricing of the property: "The last advertisement I saw for [the pub] had it listed at £1.5m. This would make it the second most expensive pub in all of Cornwall, ahead of many larger premises that are already a going concern."
They questioned the viability argument: "They cannot claim that it is both a massive business opportunity worth £1.5m and at the same time argue that it is not viable as a business."
A third individual commented: "More extensive efforts should be made to value and market as a pub and/or find alternative uses as restaurant, marine leisure business, café or even swap with local yacht club who could subsidise bar and restaurant and let pub. Pub owners could develop a yacht club site."
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