A historic Grade II-listed public house, dating back to the 18th century, could be turned into purpose-built housing accommodation (PBSA). The Old Tavern in Bristol might house 33 students if it gets planning approval.
The pub, last used in 2018, is a short walk away from the University of the West of England’s (UWE) Glenside Campus.
Under the plans submitted to the Council planning department, the original pub and outbuildings will be kept and redeveloped into housing. Additionally, a new two-storey building will be built on the plot of land.
The plans indicate that the site will have three individual buildings providing 33 beds for students. Five studios will be in the building on Small Lane, 12 student rooms within the former Old Tavern main building and 16 beds within the new two-storey building.
“The existing building was formerly the Old Tavern public house, which ceased trading in 2018 and has remained vacant, and increasingly in a state of disrepair since. Both the interior and exterior of the building are in particularly poor state of repair following repeated break-ins, anti-social behaviour, squatting and vandalism. The building also has numerous structural issues, the extent of which are detailed within the accompanying Cost Assessment.
“There can be no doubt that the longer the listed building is left in poor condition, the greater the
threat to its significance. It is therefore considered to be imperative to identify a use that will halt
the decay and provide significant investments into the built fabric and return it into an active use.“Planning and listed building consent application for the change of use of public house to student accommodation with ancillary common parts, demolition of existing outcropelements and the construction of PBSA with associated works including landscaping, refuse storage and cycle storage.”
Planning & Heritage Statement, Rapleys
The first documents were submitted in July 2023 and revised plans were submitted this July. A decision on whether planning permission is to be given has not been made, with several written objections to the proposal.
The Old Tavern public house building is a Grade II-listed building and that has been taken into account in the planning document.
“Care has been taken to ensure that the principal spaces and existing fabric are preserved. This is primarily the case at ground floor level where it is considered the significance, principally from a historic and communal value basis, is derived from its long standing use as a public house.”
Planning statement
