COUNCILLORS will meet next week to decide on plans to convert a vacant former Chester pub site into a community centre and retail unit.

The proposal for the old Dee Miller pub in Kingsway, which has been empty since February 2018, is recommended for approval.

Members of Cheshire West and Chester Council's planning committee will rule on the application for the change of use and extension of the public house on Thursday, July 22.

Back in 2019 the University of Chester put forward plans to turn the site into a sports and social club, as well as a rehearsal studio, but the scheme was deferred by councillors after residents raised concerns that they would be excluded from their own community venue.

The site, which also includes a former betting shop and three-bedroom house, is listed as an asset of community value and in 1958 the Chester Corporation agreed in a covenant that it must be used ‘for the benefit’ of residents on the Kingsway estate.

At the start of last year the university confirmed to the local authority it was longer pursuing the purchase of the site and as a result withdrew its application.

The then owners Ei Group, formerly Enterprise Inns, put the site back on the market with The Standard reporting in July 2020 that it was under offer.

The applicant, PLP Estates Limited, purchased the pub site in February this year and submitted its plans to the council in the same month.

The proposal has been called in to the planning committee by councillor Gill Watson who "considers this to be a very unusual redevelopment of a public house site which has ACV (Asset of Community Value) status.

Due to the significant amount of local interest in the application, she believes that it should be decided in the public arena to add transparency to the process.

The plans state that the community centre will benefit the local community as it will be "a multi-functional space for meetings, social functions, exercise and wellbeing classes and other events and activities".

A single storey extension will be added to the northern part of the building to form the retail unit.

It is proposed that 24 car parking spaces, including disabled bays, will be provided on site along with spaces for bicycles.

There are no plans to make any external or internal changes to the house which the applicant has advised will likely be sold off and used as a separate dwelling.

In a report recommending approval, case officer Gail Nickson says representations have been made in opposition to the application raising concerns it would have a detrimental impact upon residential amenity, does not have enough car parking spaces, will impact on the vitality and viability of the adjacent shop units, and amounts to over-development of the site.

A letter was received from the Kingsway and Newton Residents’ Association supporting the plans on the grounds that it satisfies the ACV status, will breathe new life into the site, and provides a new retail offer.

Representations neither in support or opposition refer to concerns that the lighting to the side of the building near to the chapel is poor and calls for the issue to be looked at as part of the application.

Mrs Nickson concludes in her report: "It is considered that the impacts of the proposal on highway safety and residential amenity can be adequately controlled by conditions.

"The proposal retains the building with a level of community use, which is fully supported by the local residents’ association.

"It is considered that the marketing of the site has adequately demonstrated that the public house is not capable of continued use for its current purpose."