Plans to demolish a working village pub for housing have unleashed strong feelings, with more than 70 people objecting to the “outrageous” scheme.
The owners of the Three Horseshoes at Knockholt Pound near Sevenoaks have applied for permission to demolish the pub and to replace it with a terrace of seven homes.
The pub’s owners, Gareth and Michelle Thomas, say they have been trying to sell the Horseshoes for the past 14 months but there have been no takers.
Some villagers suggest that’s because their asking price of £999,995 is too high, and the business is only valued at £750,000 in the viability statement submitted in support of the application.
However, the owners say while the pub has continued to attract a “reasonable level” of custom throughout the summer months, largely due to the attractiveness of the garden area and outdoor events, viability throughout the remaining months of the year remains “challenging”
In a supporting statement they add: “The Three Horseshoes, in line with many other pubs and hospitality venues, has struggled to remain viable since Covid and also because of the cost of living crisis.
The boozer stands on the site of an historic coaching inn on the route from London to Rye, but the present Victorian building only dates from 1880 and has been subject to several alterations and extensions since then. It is not listed.
The proposal is for a row of seven non-identical terraced homes.
These would be one pair of four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-storey homes, and then a row of three larger “landmark” properties, which would include a central clock tower.
They would also be two-and-a-half storeys and with four bedrooms.
Finally, there would be a pair of subordinate two-storey, three-bedroom homes.
Each would have a small front garden, while sixteen parking places would be created in a rear car park, two for each property, plus two visitor spaces.
The applicants say this would represent a safety improvement over the existing situation. There is currently some parking in front of the pub, but that requires patrons to reverse into the main road when leaving.
The agents say: “The applicants have been in the leisure trade for many years and wish to start a new chapter in their lives.
“The existing public house has become more challenging in recent years to run viably, particularly in the winter months and therefore alternative options are being considered.
“However, it must be stressed that the business continues to be viable as a public house and restaurant and the applicant would expect a reasonable return were they to sell it in its existing form, which is why it is currently marketed with an asking price of £999,995.
The agents argue that the pub owners did look at keeping the existing building and converting it to flats, but they commissioned a viability study that suggested that would not be economically viable.
Demolition and replacement with the terraced homes, on the other hand, could produce an additional £1million profit over the estimated value of the current building.
Among the many letters of objection, one said: “This is outrageous – this is a thriving pub in the middle of a wonderful village which should be protected as an asset of community value, not knocked down to build overly expensive new builds which will be sold off to commuters and unaffordable to the local community.
It’s a real social hub and would be sorely missed
“The Three Horseshoes is not only a valued community asset but also a vital part of the village’s social and historical fabric.”
Another said: “It appears to be a profitable business, which is obvious for all to see.
“It employs local people and is considered a hub for the Knockholt community.
“The pub has been advertised for sale with an asking price of £1m. The financial viability statement highlights that the current owners are not willing to accept a lower offer, but by keeping the asking price significantly higher than a realistic market value, it’s no surprise offers haven’t been forthcoming.”
Another “dismayed” commenter added the pub had been “in the heart of the village for decades” and it was “obviously a popular pub as the car park is often full”.
“Residents use The Shoes for all sorts of special occasions, including funeral wakes. It’s a real social hub and would be sorely missed,” they added.
“If we lose The Shoes, there will be only one pub, The Harrow, to serve both Knockholt and Halstead.”
However, not everyone was opposed to the plan.
One resident said: “I visited a number of times recently to find there was hardly anyone in there.
“It is a very sad to see that people are not going to public houses anymore.
“As we are in need of housing, it would be a much better use of the land to convert it into housing rather than becoming an empty shell.”
Another added: “There is a housing crisis so adding much needed local housing on brownfield sites is essential. Many schools are still undersubscribed so there is capacity.
“Furthermore, far from being a community asset the current use is a magnet for antisocial behaviour, so removing it would enhance village life.”
The pub made the national headlines this year after it became the scene of a fatal shooting on Valentine’s Day when Lisa Smith, 43, who had been drinking inside, was shot dead in the car park.
Police said they believed that her husband, Edward Smith, also known as Edvard Stockings, was her killer, but he was believed to have died after going into the River Thames after the 43-year-old’s car was found abandoned on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford.
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Knockholt Parish Council has neither supported or objected to the application.
Instead it conceded that if it were to “reluctantly” accept the loss of a central village pub and loss of employment, it would agree the application presents a “potentially sympathetic design”.
