Plans for Little Marlow Brasserie Blanc rejected

Plans to transform a local pub in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, into a gastropub owned by Raymond Blanc's White Brasserie Company has been rejected by Wycombe District Council.

The Grade-II-listed King's Head pub, owned by Clive and Julie Harvison for almost a decade, closed in March this year.

The White Brasserie Company submitted a planning application days later with hope of turning it in to one of its 15 traditional pubs which serves French brasserie food.

The proposed £1m refurbishment included a single storey side extension and an extension to the pavilion to accommodate new toilets, a larger dining area, kitchen, and the installation of a function room.

However, plans were scrapped after the council expressed concerns about parking. The proposal included the development of 28 parking spaces but councillors were worried that the car park would overflow on to the street as there isn't any other parking nearby.

Residents complained about the proposed takeover, calling it a "disaster". Linda Green of Winchbottom Lane submitted an objection which stated: "This development is a disaster for the people of Little Marlow. It will change the character of the village. In addition, because the new owners are internationally known, it will cause additional traffic problems for those who want to park in the village."

Emma Van Dijk of Church Road said: "I do not oppose the refurbishment of the Kings Head pub in principle but I do oppose the plans as they currently stand. There are already parking problems in Church Road - pub users occasionally park across our gate (meaning we can't use it and have to climb out over the wall to get on to the road). The proposed plans have insufficient parking provision which means that this problem is likely to get worse. We risk turning a conservation area in to a car-park with all the associated visual and safety issues."

The White Brasserie Company operates 15 pubs including the Barley Mow in Surrey; the Oakwood in Cheshire; the Jobber's Rest in Essex; and the Hare in London.

No one was available to comment at the White Brasserie Company at the time of publishing.

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