Pub could become flats despite parking fears

An eyesore former pub next to a busy city route could soon be converted into flats at the third attempt despite concerns about ‘nightmare’ parking.

New proposals could see the dilapidated Crown and Anchor in Worcester’s Hylton Road revived as new flats as part of plans by WXSPI.

Worcester City Council’s planning committee meets in the Guildhall on Thursday (June 22) to discuss the work with a recommendation from the council’s planning officers that, despite the concerns, it is given the go-ahead.

Some neighbours spoke out against the plan saying that parking in the area is already a nightmare and adding more flats without parking spaces would make a bad situation, in one of the busiest routes in and out of the city, worse.

Others have welcomed the transformative plans for the former watering hole saying they would be happy to see the back of an eyesore that has been left empty for several years.

Planning officers at the city council said it would be “difficult” to turn the plan down over parking fears around the former pub because of double yellows on both sides of Hylton Road preventing potentially disruptive on-street parking.

One objector to the plan, Gaynor Slade of Hylton Road, said it would be “naïve” to assume that no parking would not cause problems.

However, David Olszewai of Henwick Road, praised the plan saying the current “mess” could prove to be an “attractive addition” to Hylton Road if approved.

“There is a massive need in Worcester for low-cost single one-bed homes [and] this application will go a way towards that need,” he said. “Many people these days do not own a car and the location is excellent for walking into town and all neighbouring facilities.”

A plan to demolish the former pub to make way for a new three-to-four-storey building with six apartments was rejected by Worcester City Council more than a year ago but the new plan would see the pub stay in place and converted into seven flats.

Council planners approved a plan to convert the pub as part of plans to build six new flats in 2018 but the work was never carried out.

The council’s planning committee meets in the Guildhall from 3pm on Thursday.