Struggling Derbyshire village pub could shut doors for good

A struggling Derbyshire village pub is set to be converted into a large house. The Butchers Arms in Four Lane Ends, Oakerthorpe, near to the crossroads with Wingfield Road and Holme Lane is set to see its time as a pub come to an end.

An application from Butchers Developments Ltd has been submitted to Amber Valley Borough Council to turn it into a four-bed home and build a three-bed bungalow in its grounds, which will be decided in the next few months. A report submitted as part of the application claims that the pub has already been closed for a number of years, but the venue remains open.

It says: “The proposed development comprises the conversion of the Butchers Arms public house into one four-bedroom dwelling, along with the erection of one three-bedroom chalet bungalow to the rear of the pub.

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“The application site is an existing brownfield site, currently occupied by the pub and its beer garden. Given the locality is predominantly residential with accessibility to nearby community facilities and town centres, it is considered suitable for residential development.

“The proposed site has been closed down for years, struggling to make a positive contribution to the local economy. The creation of residential dwellings carries myriad economic benefits and contribution to the much-needed housing need.

“There is no longer a local demand for its existing use and there is suitable alternative provision within the locality. It has been marketed for seven months, as of October 2024, meeting the standard six-month requirement.

“However, the response has been very limited with no interest received from any party to continue public house use or any alternative community use. The total annual trade has been estimated at £150,400, and the viability report concludes that this trading performance is clearly insufficient to sustain a viable business while covering rent or mortgage payments, wages, maintenance or establishment costs.

“The viability report concludes that the Butchers Arms is not an economically viable proposition for continuing its existing use as a public house. Given that the operation costs for a licensed premise have increased significantly, it is unlikely that the Butchers Arms would be capable of generating a satisfactory profit to make it sustainably viable.

“Thereby there is no viable future for the pub, particularly when there is lack of interest received for existing pub use or alternative community uses during the marketing period.”

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