Decision on historic pub’s future delayed after community group’s new bid

A controversial plan to turn a historic Pendle village pub into a family home has been put on hold, after a community group made a new bid to reopen it.

Applicant John Kay, of JK Developments Ltd, wants permission to change the grade II-listed Cross Gaits Inn at Blacko into a family home and build a brand-new home on the rear car park. The building been vacant since January 2023 when the previous owers closed the pub.

The Cross Gaits Community Pub Group wants to reopen it and recently wrote to Pendle Council arguing a reopened pub could be viable if  combined with other commercial uses and community events.

In the community group’s new document, chartered surveyor David Broschomb has written:  “The property already provides an extensive trading area both inside and outside the main building. This substantial area of exterior space should be used to maximise income potential and to accommodate events and facilities for the community.

“The alternative is conversion to residential or other commercial use and/or the plot as a whole developed. The village community wishes this property to remain as a public house and it is advertised by the agent as ‘for existing pub use only’. Achieving change-of-use permission is therefore thought to be unlikely.

“It is my opinion that the best commercial use of this property is as a public house – but to use its maximum potential with other commercial enterprises and as a benefit to the community.”

However, Mr Kay, says a pub is not viable. His plans would renovate the old building and the proposed new home would be built on already-developed land, the former pub car park.

He commissioned a new report in the autumn by a different surveyor, arguing change-of-use is needed.  In that, surveyor Gregory Forbes states: “I am a chartered surveyor with more than 35 years’ experience. I undertake valuations of licensed premises and a wide variety of commercial properties. I am of the opinion that the property is not a viable business, based on evidence.”

His reasons include the pub’s trade in years before closure, wider pub trade changes, competition, the physical state of the  building, its lay-out and the need for major investment.

In past years, Mr Kay has submitted two previous change-of-use plans but these were refused in 2025 and 2023. They prompted dozens of objections. Last year, he appealed to a national planning inspector, hoping for a different outcome. But the appeal was dismissed.

COUNCILLORS DECISION

Pendle Council’s Barrowford & Western Parishes Committee was due to  decide the latest application this month. But councillors deferred it to February after Mr Kay has requested more time to examine the community group’s report and respond.

There have been 36 objections against the latest plan. Concerns include the impact on the community and village character if the pub was lost permanently.

Pendle planning officers had intended to recommended refusal before the community group’s latest letter. Officers believe the proposed new home would harm the open countryside. And ‘there is no clear and convincing justification’ to change of use of the pub to a home.

Coun Nadeem Ahmed, the committee chairman, said: “This committee refused the previous application. Now, we have got it again with extra information for both sides. So, the recommendation has now been changed from refusal to deferral. This provides an opportunity for all sides to consider the latest information.”

Conservative Coun Martyn Stone commented: “I agree deferring this is sensible. But this plan is exactly the same as the last. I understand there are some new supporting documents but this seems to make a mockery of the system, if all you have to do is chuck-in another document, however weak it might be?  Can we make sure there is a meaningfully different application before it comes back.”

However, a planning officer said Mr Kay’s latest application was discussed by officers. They felt it should be treated separately because of the new information.