New Clarence developer rejects community offer

The New Clarence closed in June 2023 but plans to reopen the venue have now been submitted

The owner of a Hull pub has turned down a bid from a local community group which wanted to buy the building.

Kingston Apartments, which owns The New Clarence, has submitted revised plans to reopen the venue and turn part of it into NHS accommodation.

The developer said it planned to open a pub and create a shared living space on the upper floors.

A previous bid to turn the venue into a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) was rejected by Hull City Council.

An artist's impression of how a new function room at The New Clarence will look if a new plan is approved

The building, on Charles Street, closed in June and was sold to Kingston Apartments by Admiral Taverns.

A campaign group, the Hull Community Pub Society (HCPS), later raised £450,000 to launch its own bid to buy it and reopen as a community venue.

In a open letter sent to the BBC, Kingston Apartments said it was now looking to move forward with a new plan for the site.

"We've revised our plans to retain the pub on the ground floor which is clearly what the local community wants.

"Our plan will also deliver much needed accommodation for NHS staff as well as an improved pub."

Kingston Apartments congratulated HCPS for the fundraising effort and hoped they could find an alternative venue to purchase.

The revised plans for the New Clarence, including a ground floor pub and two, 10-bed HMOs have been submitted to the local authority and are expected to go before the planning committee in the coming weeks.

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