Third plan to demolish Haxey Hood pub announced as previous two rejected

The Duke William in Haxey has been the subject of a long-running planning row for more than two years after proposals were drawn up to knock it down and convert it into housing.

Campaigners have battled successfully against two previous planning applications, both of which were thrown out by North Lincolnshire Council.

Now a third plan has been put forward to change the pub to a single dwelling, including demolition of part of the restaurant.

The pub has traditionally been one of four which take part in the annual, historic contest which has been running for more than 700 years and is normally held every January.

An initial proposal to knock it down was rejected by North Lincolnshire Council in 2019.

Last December, the same council threw 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 a previous 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.”