Former Wisbech mayor to convert old March pub into flats

A pub in March is set to be converted into flats, despite concerns that one of the new homes would offer a “substandard level of accommodation”.

Fenland District Council has given permission for The Buffs, in Robingoodfellows Lane, to be converted into three new flats.

Concerns about the proposals were raised by planning officers at the district council, who recommended the application for refusal.

Officers said one of the flats proposed failed to meet the minimum floor space requirements.

They said: “It is therefore considered that the development as a whole would provide a substandard level of accommodation to the detriment of the amenity of future occupants.”

Planning officers also said the pub had not been advertised on the market to see if anyone wanted to keep using the building as a community facility.

They said this was a breach of the district council’s planning policies, which would require it to be marketed for a minimum of one year to show there is no interest.

The plans were submitted by Sidney Imafidon, who is also a councillor at the district council.

Matthew Hall, representing Mr Imafidon, told a planning committee meeting on Wednesday that it was no longer viable to run a pub in the building.

He highlighted that there are other pubs and places people can drink in the area.

Mr Hall accepted it had not been advertised for sale by Mr Imafidon, but said it had been on the market for six months before he purchased the building.

He added that The Buffs is in a residential area and argued it would be a ‘benefit’ to neighbours to have the building converted into flats, rather than continue to be used as a pub.

Mr Hall said he recognised officers had highlighted that one of the flats did not meet the minimum space standards.

He explained that a conversion of the building was being proposed and that the flats had been designed within the “limited room” of the building.

Mr Hall also claimed that the district council had approved plans previously for homes elsewhere that fell below the minimum space standards.

Councillor Roy Gerstner said he agreed that converting the building into flats would be a benefit for the area.

However, he said he was concerned about the number of flats being proposed, and said he would have been “much more comfortable” had it been proposed to convert the building into two flats.

However, Councillor Ian Benney shared concerns that if the committee did not approve the application, that the building would “sit there until it falls apart”.

He described the building as “an absolute mess” and said it was a “blot on the landscape”.

Cllr Benney recognised it had not been marketed for the full year, but said he believed they “should be grateful anybody wanted to buy” the building, and said it was “never going to open as a pub or club” again.

When a decision was put to a vote a majority of councillors agreed to approve the plans.