The "horrible eyesore" skeleton of a former Woodville pub will be demolished to make way for flats.

At a South Derbyshire District Council meeting last night (April 1) councillors unanimously approved plans from H&H Property Developments to demolish the former Nelson Inn pub in High Street.

The venue, a few miles from Ashby de la Zouch, will now be replaced by 14 flats, five of which would be two-bed and nine of which would be one-bed, along with 12 parking spaces.

A pub has sat on the site since 1880 but archaeologists say the venue has "no special historic significance" which would warrant it gaining any protected status, a council report states.

The former Nelson Inn in Woodville will be flattened for a new flats development. Pub photos: Eddie Bisknell, LDRS

This scheme would replace a previously approved plan from Roseacre Developments granted in August 2022, which sought to convert the former pub into two apartments and build six houses on the land behind it.

Council officials said the new scheme would "lead to much improvement to the appearance of the site" but said the loss of the pub itself was "unfortunate".

Cllr Steve Taylor said the current state of the building was "unsightly" and said there had been extensive talks to improve the design of the scheme to get it to the point of approval.

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Cllr Amy Wheelton said: "The pub is in a very bad state. This is an excellent design and uses the same doorway design to replicate the pub on the roadside frontage.

"There are many other urban areas that need this sort of regeneration.

"I just hope it isn't going to be pink (as the lower portion of the current pub is)."

The new design includes chimneys on either end of the building and it would be the same size and shape of the pub on the side of the property facing the road.

It would also include solar panel roof tiles.

Cllr Neil Tilley said: "It is a horrible eyesore on what is a gateway road into Swadlincote. It can only be seen as an improvement."

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The current building is now only a skeleton of what it once was, with no windows, doors or a roof, with the property fully exposed to the elements revealing peeling wallpaper and rotting timbers.

Woodville Parish Council had objected to the scheme citing a lack of parking spaces and "limited" on-street parking available on what is a highly congested main road close to the infamous Clock Garage Roundabout.

Four objection letters had been submitted to the district council by residents opposing the scheme, claiming the new building would be "unsuitable" and "unsightly" alongside Victorian properties in the area.

They claimed the scheme represents overdevelopment and would have a negative impact on road safety, parking and security, with further concerns about existing congestion in the neighbourhood worsening.

The applicant said many changes have been made to the scheme following talks with council officers since its original design was deemed unacceptable and "excessive".

Council officers wrote: "It is considered that the scheme is well designed in terms of achieving the best use of the site whilst not causing undue detrimental impact on the surrounding area and adjacent properties."