Former Melton Mowbray pub to be turned into 30 flats and two shops

The Kings Head has been shut since 2018

A former pub in Leicestershire that has been closed for five years is to be turned into flats and shops.

The Kings Head, in Nottingham Street, Melton Mowbray, shut in 2018, but the three-storey building will now be turned into 30 one-bedroom flats.

Documents submitted to Melton Borough Council, on behalf of applicant Nick Steans, said it was "not economically viable to reopen" as a pub.

Two shops will also be on the ground floor.

'Historic building'

A new extension will replace an existing two-storey section at the rear of the building, and there will be an entrance hall leading to a staircase and lift, along with an atrium and garden area.

Developers also want to create a roof terrace space, the Local Democracy Reporting Service says.

The application was approved by the borough council's planning officers, rather than being considered by the council's planning committee.

"The identified harm to the character and appearance of the conservation area or the setting of adjacent listed buildings is considered to be outweighed by the public benefits of bringing a historic building into long-term use with two additional retail units," a report said.

Two objections were raised by members of the public, who questioned demand for flats in the town centre and said there were already empty shops beneath flat developments.