Popular Windmill Hill pub to become flats after planning appeal

A popular pub will be converted into flats after a successful appeal against planning refusal.

The Windmill, on Windmill Hill in Bristol, closed in March 2020 and its owners applied for permission to turn it into five apartments.

But after campaigners fought the plans, Bristol City Council refused to grant permission in November 2021.

However, owner Bar Wars appealed to the planning inspector, who has now granted permission for the flats.

Overturning the refusal marks the latest twist in a long-running saga of the local community fighting to save its pub, who claimed its loss would be a "travesty" for Windmill Hill.

One of the main questions addressed in the planning process was how many other pubs are nearby, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The planning inspector said there were several alternatives that were a "short walk" or others on "safe routes" within a "reasonable walking distance".

But this was a point contested by residents and councillors.

In November, they argued other nearby pubs were either too far to walk to or along routes that could be unsafe after dark.

Planning permission was originally granted to turn the pub into flats in November 2020, but a legal challenge was then launched which led to that decision being quashed.

The plans went back to Bristol City Council's development control committee in November last year, when permission was refused.

The local community did raise £170,000 to buy the pub, but did not reach their target of £300,000.

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