A gastropub extension near Anne Hathaway’s Cottage faces demolition for violating planning.
Rakesh Singh owns the Burnside Hotel. It’s near Stratford-upon-Avon. He awaits a decision about demolition. This relates to his pub and decking area. He broke planning rules.
The pub stands 188m from the Cottage. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust manages the Cottage. They claim the pub illegally encroaches on their historic land. Mr. Singh wants to build a kitchen extension. It would be 400 square feet and would overlook Shottery Brook.
The extension is garage-sized. It faces a Conservation Area across from the Cottage. He seeks permission for a built storeroom.
Villagers criticize him strongly. They feel he mocks planning rules, where average house prices reach £500,000. Gillian Brown lives nearby and is upset by his planning approach.
She said he builds first, then applies. She finds this a concerning precedent. Brown stated that the buildings clash and don’t match the area’s character at all. Neighbours worry about the pub’s impact on nearby wildlife. The illegally extended new size is twice the old size.
Rosemary Winter-Scott dislikes the visual impact. She called the extension very ugly and believes it harms the building’s aesthetics. It impacts the conservation area.
H Anderson protested to the council. They said additions are not sympathetic to the area’s character. They believe permission should be denied. The council rejected permission for the pub because it failed to enhance the area’s character.
Planners listed six major issues of concern. They cited damage to the Conservation Area and that it harmed the Grade II-listed cottage’s setting. The Trust started legal action too, alleging land intrusion.
Mr Singh bought the site in 2016 for £1.25 million from the Trust. It was previously a tannery. He got permission for a B&B with 22 bedrooms.
He has submitted ten more applications since then. Most were rejected or withdrawn entirely. A restaurant extension was refused in 2018. Two applications were partly retrospective, attempts to get approval after work. Efforts are being made to contact Mr Singh.