A developer has lost its second bid to try and repurpose a community hall in Sherbourne.

Sherbourne Park Estate has seen another planning application refused to turn Sherbourne Village Hall into offices.

A previous application was refused by Warwick District Council in 2023, and at this week’s planning committee meeting councillors blocked another scheme.

The main issue was the loss of a ‘community asset’ and whether Sherbourne Park Estate had shown it had gone out of its way to properly market the hall.

Speaking at Tuesday’s (September 9) meeting, Cllr James Kennedy said: “The applicant hasn’t answered that question to a satisfactory level. 

“I don’t think we can approve it until we have the evidence that it is redundant and it is being actively marketed and there is no use for it. 

“Without that evidence, we can’t approve it.”

In its latest application, the estate said the hall has been advertised for over a year but "no enquiries or bookings have been received" and was last used to broadcast Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.

"The premises being unoccupied and not maintained is unattractive to the local street scene," the application said. 

"No external material changes are required to the hall as part of this change of use application. 

"We therefore conclude that the impact on the conservation area will be neutral. 

"The detached garage to be removed offers no enhancement or benefit to the conservation area."

Plans show the former school building would have provided one large open office as well as two bathrooms and a small kitchen space.

But council planners also recommended the application be refused.

A council report said: "The loss of the village hall use is therefore not considered to be justified and the principle of the development is not supported.”

Councillors voted to reject the application.

See the full report here.

(Header image by David Stowell via geograph.org.uk)