Fresh plans to demolish historic Haxey Hood pub thrown out as council rejects new scheme

The Duke William in Haxey – one of four pubs which take part in the annual, historic contest - has been at the centre of a planning row for more than two years after proposals were drawn up to shut it and turn it into housing.

Angry supporters of the traditional 700-year-old game rallied against the plans and an initial proposal to knock it down was rejected by North Lincolnshire Council in 2019.

Now the same council has thrown out a fresh plan after refusing planning permission to build houses around the pub and to partly turn the building into residential accomodation.

In its decision, the council’s planning committee said: “The proposal, by virtue of its siting and intensification of built form, would introduce an unacceptable character impact through the visual intrusion of an extension of the residential environment into the historic landscape.

"The development would therefore have an adverse impact on the character, appearance and setting of the historic landscape of the Isle of Axholme Area of Special Historic Landscape and its national significance, specifically the character and setting of the core historic landscape of the Ancient Open Strip Fields north of Haxey and the Early Enclosed Land, as well as of the historic settlement form and listed buildings that contribute to the character, setting and legibility of the historic landscape.”

In the application, pub bosses had said the bar was ‘no longer financially viable’ and had wanted to erect six houses on the land.

It stated: "The Duke William Motel is no longer financially viable as the trade has been at a cumulative loss over the last year.

"The deficit has been accumulated through a steady decline instead of a sudden drop in sales, any attempt to relaunch the business would therefore be demonstrably likely to be unsuccessful.”

The yearly tradition, which takes place in January, sees regulars from four pubs – the Duke William, King's Arms and Loco in Haxey as well as the Carpenters Arms in Westwoodside – battling over the Haxey Hood in a muddy and bruising battle.

This year’s event was cancelled because of coronavirus restrictions.