Plans have been submitted that could see the former Airfield Tavern pub in Yeovil demolished to make way for an extension of the neighbouring Premier Inn hotel. The pub, located off Alvington Lane at the western edge of Yeovil and adjacent to the 20-bed Premier Inn near the Leonardo airfield, has been closed to the public for several years. However, it has remained accessible to hotel guests for meals and drinks.
Premier Inn Hotels Ltd has applied for planning permission to demolish the pub and construct a two-storey extension to the existing hotel. This development would add 58 guest rooms, increasing the hotel’s capacity by nearly 300%, bringing the total number of bedrooms to 78.
The proposed plans also include the creation of a new restaurant area on the ground floor within the extension, as well as an expansion of the existing reception by converting a ground-floor bedroom. To accommodate the building work, the current car park will be slightly reduced but will still provide 74 parking spaces for staff and guests.
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It is currently unclear whether the expansion will lead to additional full- or part-time employment opportunities.
“The proposed extension will provide the additional capacity required to allow this successful business to continue to thrive,” said a spokesperson for Axiom Architects, representing the applicant. “The massing and materials of the extension are designed to match the existing hotel, reinforcing the established character and overall theme of the site. The extension will deliver additional guest rooms, helping to secure the long-term future of the business while enabling it to continue supporting the local economy and providing important services to its customers.”
As the site lies within the River Yeo catchment area, the developer must take measures to avoid increasing phosphate levels on the Somerset Levels and Moors. To mitigate this, the developer plans to purchase phosphate credits from third parties, a process that involves fallowing agricultural land in the same catchment area. This arrangement will be in place until Wessex Water upgrades Yeovil’s wastewater treatment plant, expected by April 2030.
Somerset Council is expected to reach a decision on the planning application within the next six months. Given the scale and significance of the proposed development, it is likely that the decision will be made in a public meeting by the Planning Committee South, which oversees major applications in the former South Somerset area, rather than through delegated authority given to planning officers.