Residents have their say on plans to convert Grade II listed Northamptonshire village pub into house
Plans to turn the King’s Head in Wadenhoe into a house have been criticised by residents, who have called the proposal ‘tragic’ and ‘a dreadful shame.’
Following the pub’s closure in 2024, a proposal to convert the building in Church Street was submitted in February and validated by North Northants Council last month.
Should plans be approved, it would see the village’s only pub converted into a private home, and some have voiced their opposition to the plans.
One comment on the proposal said: “How sad that here we are again talking about losing yet another country pub. One of the first things most people do when looking to move to the countryside is to research if the village or nearby villages has a pub.
“I do appreciate that locals do not want a thriving hugely busy pub with lots of traffic. But little effort it seems has been made to try and accommodate some sort of plan to keep it. More effort it seems have gone into producing a plan for a fancy private dwelling. “I believe many in the local community would come together to provide some loving care and maintenance for this property and some good ideas could be discussed to try and save this little gem/hub in the community.
“Losing this place would be tragic.”
The King’s Head had previously been marketed to be re-let by its owners, The Wadenhoe Trust, but ‘little interest’ meant the trust has looked to other options, now asking consent to convert the buildings into residential accommodation to ‘find a long-term sustainable future use to retain both heritage assets for future generations’.
Another commenter said: "The Kings Head is in a location where very few pubs remain.
"It is a social centre for those living in the locality and, situated on the Nene Valley Way in such a marvellous setting, is a valuable part of North Northamptonshire's tourism industry.”
A third added: “I note that an application has been made to change this pub into private dwelling. This would be a dreadful shame and once gone cannot be undone. Pubs are part of our country's heritage and all should be done to protect and preserve them. This pub is a beautiful setting and could and would be a destination pub for the local area. “Allowing this pub to thrive as a business would bring the community a much needed hub.”
The application will be considered by North Northamptonshire Council.