Prince of Wales pub in Kettering could be turned into flats

An empty Kettering pub looks set to be lost forever after plans to turn it into flats were unveiled.

The Prince of Wales in Job’s Yard, known for its live music, has been vacant for more than a year and was sold by Star Pubs and Bars.

Since then there’s been little interest in reopening it – and now the town centre venue could become housing.

Plans submitted to North Northamptonshire Council by a ‘Mr Campbell’ outline a bid to turn the pub and a single first-floor flat into seven self-contained flats and a retail unit.

A planning statement said: “The marketing exercise has demonstrated that there is no appetite for it from public house operators or from independent freehold public house operators.

"In its final years of operation, it operated on a peppercorn rent and barely covered its costs. It is in need of a total overhaul...it does not have a prime trading location and its internal layout and limited size represents a challenge to its continued use as a public house.

"It is also close to new dwellings and as it was traditionally a live music venue is already vulnerable to future complaints from its very near neighbours...these factors combine to make it unappealing to licensed trade operators and there is no likelihood of the pub opening again within the same use.”

Plan documents said the building is in a poor condition and that the asking price had been substantially reduced during its marketing exercise.

They said that only one party showed an interest in taking it on as a pub but that they withdrew because its terms were not viable.

Should the flats be approved by council officers – who are hoping to make a decision by November 25 – they would have no parking spaces but eight cycle spaces.

A planning statement added: "The loss of the public house is justified. It is not viable and is in need of very substantial investment to simply bring it up to a modern standard and may be in need of significant financial support even then. This is unlikely to be forthcoming.

"The proposed change of use however will see the building retained in the townscape and it will achieve some of the council’s primary objectives for the town centre.”