Essex Fire-Hit Jack O’Lantern Pub Set for Demolition to Make Way for Flats
The Jack O’Lantern pub in Essex, damaged by fire, will be replaced by flats after council approval
Essex, Jack O’Lantern Pub, Flats, Burney New Development Ltd, Community Facilities
Essex: A fire at the Jack O’Lantern pub back in September 2020 really did a number on the place. It wrecked the roof and left the building in pretty bad shape. In 2022, the council said no to demolishing it because they wanted to keep the pub as a community spot.
This pub, built in the 1950s, is located on Daiglen Drive, close to homes and shops. The council was all about preserving pubs as community hubs, which makes sense, right?
But then, developer Burney New Development Ltd came along and convinced the council that the pub just wasn’t going to cut it anymore. They got the green light to tear it down and put up a block of 17 flats instead.
To back their case, the developer hired a specialist agency to look into whether a pub was still needed there. Turns out, the experts said the demand for a pub in that spot was “negligible,” and getting funding for a new one would be a real headache.
Of course, not everyone is on board with this plan. The council got three letters from locals who were not happy. They raised concerns about parking and the lack of NHS facilities nearby. Plus, they worried the new flats would overlook their homes and just wouldn’t fit in with the neighborhood.
One resident, Michelle Cox, voiced her worries about parking. She pointed out that the area already struggles with parking issues, especially on Saturday nights when the village hall is busy.
She also mentioned that the new flats would overlook gardens, and what the community really needs is something like a GP or dentist office since getting appointments is a real struggle these days.
Despite the community’s concerns, planning officers noted that losing a place like this for community use is a shame. However, they pointed out that the building had been in bad shape since the fire, and there was no sign that the previous owner wanted to reopen it.
They also mentioned that the pub market has changed a lot recently, with many pubs closing down. Luckily, there are still other pubs not too far away.