Former Arkell's pub could be transformed into a new use

The Plough Inn in Lechlade Road, Highworth, was closed in March last year by its owners Arkell’s Brewery – and the licence to sell alcohol from the premises was removed.

Now Lea and Sarah Carter have applied for permission to convert the pub into a single family home.

A condition of the sale of the building, which was originally two cottages, one with a half-timbered front which was the pub itself, and the other being the landlord’s accommodation, is that it can no longer be used as a pub or to sell alcohol.

The former Plough Inn in Highworth (Image: L Carter)The Carters say: “Our intentions for the property are not to alter the external features of the property in any way. The character and quirky nature of the building is what attracted my family  and why we feel it would make a fantastic family home.

“Along with general redecorating and reorientating the bar area to that of a home, the building itself does need an amount of TLC.

“Repairs on the flat roof to the rear of the property are quite urgent and the heating system does need renewing to be more reliable and efficient, as the property used to be two separate buildings there are two heating systems and also two water, gas and electrical feeds to the property."

The submitted plans show that the bar would be used as the main living room for the new house, and the six bedrooms, ranging across the upper storey across the two buildings, and two bathrooms would be retained.

The plans do not suggest changes to the ground floor which still includes a keg room and a back bar and large pub toilet block.

The property comes with a detached barn which was used as storage for the pub.

The inn closed in March 2023 less than a year after it was taken over by landlord Michael Soule, who took it on from Dan Uzzell in August 2022.

Mr Carter’s letter to planners quotes the brewery as saying the Plough was becoming unprofitable, partly because of the “steep competition from other public houses and establishments serving alcohol, including their own, within Highworth”.

No decision has been made on the application, and comments can still be made until February 6 using reference S/23/1509 on Swindon.gov.uk