100-year-old Brixham pub set to be converted into a house
The owners say the lack of external space makes it impossible to trade safely during the pandemic.
Last updated 11th Nov 2020
Brixham is set to lose a historic pub which has suffered financially due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The owners have submitted a request to turn The New Quay Inn in the town centre into a home.
A planning application to Torbay Council asks for permission to change the use of the listed building on the corner of New Quay Lane and King Street.
The pub, previously known as The Hole in the Wall, is known to have been trading for around a century.
'The pandemic has made it extremely difficult'
A statement with the application says: “The public house has no external space. The current Covid-19 pandemic has made it extremely difficult for the business to trade safely and survive financially.”
It says many of the pubs, restaurants and cafes in the harbour and town centre have outside space which gives them a greater chance of financial survival.
The statement from architects Charles Blake and Associates says the plan to turn the pub and owner’s accommodation into a single dwelling involves “very minor” changes.
Internal fittings put in when the pub was restored will be removed, and the signs and lights will go.
The statement says: “This will be a high-quality development, designed to enrich the site and one which preserves the character and appearance of the area.”
The pub, known in recent years as The Hole in the Wall, was refurbished after being bought by new owners in 2013.
It is around 100 yards from the harbour wall in the network of narrow lanes that make up the historic heart of the port in the Lower Brixham Conservation area.
The three-storey building housing the pub is on land reclaimed from the south side of the original tidal inlet of the harbour.
It is believed to date back to the late 18th or early 19th Century, although its exact construction date is unknown.
It may have started off as two buildings, and the curved end may have been added later so traffic could pass more easily in the narrow streets.
It is shown on maps from the 1800s and a photograph from 1922 shows it trading as the New Quay Inn.
A decision will be made on the change of use and listed building applications after public consultation.