Bungalow plans in beer garden of disused Dukes Head Inn in High Street, Coddenham, rejected

Plans to build a bungalow in a former pub’s beer garden have been refused following a wave of objections from residents.

Clerks Well Properties Ltd submitted proposals in May to develop the home on land at the back of The Dukes Head Inn in High Street, Coddenham, near Needham Market.

Mid Suffolk District Council has rejected the plans following parking concerns raised by residents with the application being an ‘unsatisfactory arrangement’.

Though the bungalow would be accessed from the former pub’s car park, planners believed the parking arrangement would lead to pressure for occupiers to use Mill Lane.

This could create further traffic issues in Coddenham as one resident said ‘any planning proposals that cause further traffic congestion or danger, must be rejected’.

The objector said: “The traffic issues in Coddenham are well documented and remain a constant issue to both residents of the village and the heavy traffic coming through it.

“The new proposals would only appear to exacerbate this with an overcrowding of parking spaces and no consideration of how these vehicles would manoeuvre into the allotted spaces.

“It is assumed the High Street will be used to manoeuvre in and out of these spaces, when there is already reduced visibility and little room on the road.”

The application received more than 14 objections from residents, with some also sharing their concerns for the future of the empty Grade II-listed pub.

Planning approval was won to turn the building into a three-bedroom home in 2020.

Despite fencing and signs of potential work taking place at the site, there has been little to no visible progress on the transformation.

Another objector said: “The current owner(s) of the property in question have allowed this building to degrade to an extent that it is now a semi derelict eyesore.

“To exacerbate the issue, we are regularly faced with planning applications that will do nothing to enhance the village with each application showing little regard for the failure points of previous applications.”

A previous application for three bungalows on the land was also refused.