Plans to turn a Grade II listed Warwick pub into a house have been thrown out by district planners.

The Punch Bowl has been closed for nearly two years, having been forced to close in September 2020 due to the pandemic.

Secret Properties Ltd then applied to turn the pub into a house and demolish some of the rear extensions - much to the dismay of local residents.

But Warwick District Council has now refused to grant planning permission for The Butts venue to change use from a pub to a house.

"In the opinion of the local planning authority, it has not been suitably demonstrated that the change of use to a dwelling house would not be detrimental to the town centre through the loss of visitor accommodation," a council report said.

And whilst Secret Properties said "there isn't the passing footfall to sustain a business of this type in this location" and that the scheme would provide "a sustainable future for an important heritage asset", the council disagreed.

The report added: "Applicants are expected to provide evidence of the property being marketed for a period of 12 months at a price reflective of the current market conditions and demonstrate no other operators have been willing to acquire it for continued use as visitor accommodation.

"Whilst it has been implied in communications by the agent that the business was unviable, no substantive evidence has been provided."

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The council also said there were issues with access to the site and that there would be too much noise for anybody living there.

The Punch Bowl, which dates back to the 18th century, started life as a coaching inn, before becoming a hotel and then a pub.

More than 120 objections had been made to the application, many of which sited the importance of the Punch Bowl as a community asset.

WDC's planning committee will tonight (June 22) discuss a second application for the pub for the demolition of its rear extensions.

Council officers have recommended that planning permission be granted for that application.