A Donisthorpe pub which has been closed for five years is set to be demolished to make way for a potential 11 new homes.

The Masons Arms has been described as 'the most important 20th century public house in the District'.

But it is to be knocked down for housing after a report said it was 'not viable' for it to be used as a public house.

Outline planning permission has been granted for the scheme which first went before North West Leicestershire District Council in 2021.

The planning application, made by KMG Partnership, based in Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire, came just a month after the building, in Church Street, was taken off the market after being put up for sale.

A Statement of Community Involvement report was included with the application - and says the new houses would be designed for the first-time buyer market.

The development is also subject to a 106 agreement whereby the developers pay a sum of around £40,000 to be donated to Ashby School and Ivanhoe School.

The Masons Arms has not been open since 2018.

A council officer's report says: "In order to facilitate the proposed development, the existing public house (Masons Arms) would be demolished.

Image: Instantstreetview.com

"The proposed layout, which has been amended during the course of the application in response to officer concerns, identifies that plots 1 to 6 would be orientated to address Church Street with plot 7 being angled so as to address the crossroads and plots 8 to 11 orientated to address Measham Road.

"A housing mix of four two-bed, six three-bed and one four-bed properties would be provided."

Oakthorpe, Donisthorpe & Acresford Parish Council had expressed concerns about the original application on grounds of:

• Excess cars on an already busy junction

• Cars parking on the junction despite a car park on plans as people tend to park in front of their house

• Roads and junction heavily used during term time by school children and parents

• There would be an increase in comings and goings on an already busy junction, visibility approaching the junction on gradients needs to be considered along with a traffic management scheme (e.g. lights)

• Suggest the developer pays for the installation of traffic lights which would solve a lot of the concerns

• Infrastructure needs to be taken into account: public transport service poor (no buses after 5pm in the evening), less flexibility for employment opportunities unless you have a car

• Access to health services is under pressure already, with more housing developments being created are there plans to increase capacity of health services

• How the consultation with residents was undertaken? And where was the application advertised?

• This will be the third public house to be developed for housing over the last five years in this Parish.

But the officer's report added: "The Masons Arms Public House has special local historic and architectural interest, being one of only two 'roadhouse' pubs in the District and the most important 20th century public house in the District

"It is considered that the limited conflict arising would not justify a refusal of the application in the circumstances that all suitable alternative development options which would seek to retain the Non-Designated Heritage Asset status have been considered and discounted on viability grounds.

"Therefore the only viable option is for the NDHA to be demolished so as to allow the proposed residential redevelopment of the site.

"It is concluded in the 'Loss of Public House' section of this report above that the retention of the public house as a public house is not viable, and that there are no suitable reuses of the building for community facilities."

The developers claimed to have had support for the scheme when details were first made public.

You can see the plans for the site HERE.

A statement, on behalf of KMG and issued in 2021, said: "We have liaised with a number of local residents regarding the scheme proposal.

"The public house closed in 2018.

"The site is vacant at present and the existing building is in need of repair.

"We understand the public house will not be reopening.

"There is limited community benefit generated from this site at present.

"The type of dwellings that are envisaged for this development are intended for the first time buyers' market and should fit into the locality well.

"If larger dwellings are required, the scheme has the potential to be altered to suit.

"We have received positive feedback for the proposal."

The site had been up for sale at £395,000 but was taken off the market due to a 'lack of interest'.