A well-known Somerset pub, The Podymore Inn near Yeovil, might see part of its beer garden replaced by a new four-bedroom house. The proposed development would take place on the land currently used as the beer garden east of the pub. Despite this change, the pub itself will remain open and unaffected throughout construction.
To accommodate the new house, the beer garden in that area would be removed, but the pub’s children’s play area and remaining sections of the beer garden will be retained and relocated within the pub’s grounds. The planning application emphasizes that the development will not impact the pub’s operation or its long-term viability.
Although the new house would reduce the public house’s parking by three spaces, 28 parking spots would remain, ensuring that the decrease will not damage the pub’s future success. Service and delivery access arrangements will also remain unchanged during and after the development.
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Importantly, the funds generated from selling the land for the residential development will be reinvested directly into the pub’s business. This investment aims to preserve and enhance the pub’s role as a community hub. Additionally, it’s expected that the new homeowners will support the pub, contributing to its ongoing patronage and supporting the local economy.
Described as a “traditional” local pub, The Podymore Inn boasts a spacious beer garden and ample car parking. The new house is planned to fit well within the primarily residential setting, designed to blend in with the surroundings and maintain the appropriate scale for the area.
Somerset Council planners will review the application and decide on its future in the coming weeks.