Land at The Bell Public House, 4 Town Lane, Benington, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG2 7LA

‘Without planning permission, the unauthorised material change of use from a Public House to a solely residential use’

Authority: East Hertfordshire District Council
Appeal type: enforcement · Enforcement Notice
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: change of use · Change of use
Inspector: Buchanan R

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether there has been a material change of use from a public house to independent residential use
Whether such a change of use constitutes a breach of planning control requiring express planning permission

What decided it

The significant change in the nature and character of use of the building since 2020, with a spread of residential use downstairs and no evidence of actual use by visiting patrons, meant the living accommodation could no longer be regarded as incidental to the pub and constituted independent residential use requiring planning permission.

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