Makeover of White Hart Pub Lymington by Heartwood Collection Ltd would create 45 new jobs

AN extension to a Lymington pub which has been closed for over a year would see it come back into “gainful use” and create 45 jobs, according to new owners Heartwood Collection Ltd.

If approved, plans for the White Hart pub could see a bigger dining area and an “improvement to the functionality and appearance of the pub”.

The works, said Heartwood, are “essential for the viability of the public house going forward”.

The A&T revealed earlier this year that the pub, which closed in April last year, would be given a multi-million-pound makeover by the hospitality company, which is backed by Alchemy Partners.

Now a planning statement by Walsingham Planning, acting as agents for Heartwood Collection Ltd, says the pub is “currently shut and requires significant investment to upgrade its internal and external facilities to the standard that customers now expect”.

But it adds: “The pub has the potential to make a positive contribution to Lymington’s visitor economy once refurbished and re-opened.

“The proposals would help to bring the community facility back into gainful use, which will create 45 jobs, as well as employment opportunities during the construction phase.

“As a listed building, it is even more important that the building attracts the investment it needs to bring it back into gainful use.”

A heritage report by Bob Edwards of Forum Heritage Services reveals that the White Hart, on Milford Road, was built around 1855 as a home, but was later converted to a pub around the mid-19th century.

Although a listed building, Mr Edwards says this appears to be more because of its history than any architectural merits.

He said: “As a historic building, there is little that can be genuinely regarded as being ‘special’– it is the historic use as a public house and its communal values that possibly justifies its listed building status.”

Apart from the single storey rear extension, the company wants to alter the interior of the pub, including replacing the existing modern bar with one extended into the smaller lounge area.

The planning statement says that the extension will have a brick finish with “extensive glazing”, which will produce a “high quality result”. A children’s play area in the garden of the pub will be removed and a new patio laid.

There has been one objection to the application so far from a person living nearby.

They said: “As a close neighbour to the White Hart we have become used to the noise of a busy pub next door over several years, however the plans submitted include the construction of a new outdoor seating area that is significantly closer to our property than previously.

“Despite a noise survey being carried out when the pub was open last year it was not assessed with the layout as proposed on the planning application. The new outdoor seating area will be one whole patio's width closer to our house, which cannot but increase the level of noise we will experience when in our house or garden.

“This also throws up the question as to what is proposed to be done with the remainder of the pub garden space - additional outdoor tables, play equipment etc? All of which will be even closer to our property, should the plans be approved, therefore creating more noise than previously.”