Owners given a year to restore pub building

The pub sign is still in place but the venue has been closed since 2022

The owner of a former pub building has been told by the council to restore it within the next 12 months.

The Queen in Brandeston, Suffolk, closed in 2022 and the building changed hands.

East Suffolk Council refused the owner's application to convert it into a house and villagers said it was viable as a public house.

The owner has declined to speak to the BBC.

The pub was originally constructed as The Queen's Head in 1447, but that building was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 19th Century.

The council said it received reports that an "unauthorised change of use" had recently taken place at the pub.

The local authority carried out an investigation and the owner, Mark Cunninghan, applied for permission for the pub to become a private house.

The owner has offered to lease the pub to the community

A total of 250 objections to the application were received by the council.

According to the decision notice, permission was refused because "the loss of the public house would be to the detriment of the social and cultural wellbeing of the local community".

The owner has appealed against that decision.

Chris Duncan, who lives in the village, said it was a "very viable business"

Chris Duncan, who lives nearby, was a pub regular.

He said: "I've lived here eight years and I used that pub at least four nights out of seven for food and drink and entertaining friends and family.

"A lot of villagers have as well - it is a very viable business, it's a lovely spot [with] a beautiful garden.

"It's got the potential of being a very good pub."

The council decided losing the pub would be detrimental to the community

The owner has offered to lease the pub to the community, but Mr Duncan said it was difficult to get the villagers together to discuss that proposal because there was no pub to meet in.

He added: "There are villagers I haven't seen for months because the pub isn't open any more."

East Suffolk Council said: "An enforcement notice for the unauthorised use has now been served and compliance with this notice is expected by May 2025.”

The owner was approached by the BBC but declined to talk about the pub.