Another pub in Swindon that had been closed since 2022 could be turned into housing.

Arkell’s Brewery has applied for planning permission to change the use of the Boundary House pub at 1 The Street at the corner with Purton Road in Moredon to residential.

That would then allow the conversion of the pub, which was closed by the brewery in 2022, into four flats and the construction of six houses, in two blocks of three on the car park facing Purton Road.

As part of the application, Arkell’s was obliged to provide evidence that the building was no longer viable as a pub.

A statement submitted to the brewery said: ”The Boundary House public house has been owned by Arkell’s Brewery since 1877. When in operation, the pub was a wet-led business which did not include the sale of food as part of its operation. Indeed, the layout of the pub does not lend itself to a food-led operation.”

The statement said a new tenant took on the pub in July 2020 as pubs re-opened after the first Covid lockdown, but the tenant left in 2022 as the pub was making a loss. In 2022 it made a loss of just under £20,000.

It concluded: “The site vacancy has been advertised on the applicant’s website from February 2022 onwards, however Arkell’s were unable to find a suitable tenant.

“It is clear that despite the very low level of rent being charged, the Boundary House is no longer viable as a public house. The pub has been loss-making since 2016 and even prior to that, the profit margin has been too low to demonstrate a viable business.”

The plans submitted show the pub’s ground floor would be divided into two two-bed apartments, with a two-bed flat on the first floor and a one-bed flat on the second floor.

Three of the houses would be three stories, with an integrated garage and “television room” on the ground floor and one large and two smaller bedrooms on the second floor with living spaces on the floor between.

The other three houses would be more conventional two-storey, three-bed houses.

Arkells said: “The converted and new-build buildings would reinforce the distinctive architecture of The Boundary House and the 19th century cottages along The Street.”

As well as the six garages there are 18 parking spaces allocated on the plans.

That caused Haydon Wick Parish Council some concern: “There are 26 planned bedrooms and only 18 parking spaces.

The council also wanted the pub building protected: “Although not listed it is a local historic asset, the Boundary House is an iconic building.”