Residents give their views on plans to convert pub to house

The Chequers on Beaumont Road in Headington Quarry was previously put up on the market for a guide price of £950,000.

It was listed on property website Rightmove as a detached building with the possibility for redevelopment.

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But according to the planning application to the city council, the property is no longer viable as a business and now there are plans to turn the pub into a home.

The planning application states: “Within the property The Chequers Inn as a business has been liquidated and the restaurant/take away is unable to generate enough profitable business to pay their rent.

“There have been a whole range of unprecedented social, political and economic factors that have impacted on pubs and put pressure on pubs including The Chequers Inn."

Residents have been commenting on the planning application to change the use of the building but no decision has yet been reached on the application.

Lawrence Kelly, of Headington Quarry, said: "The Chequers is easily the most attractive pub in Quarry and would make a very good traditional food pub.

"If this application succeeds that option is gone and it will be a loss to the community."

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Michael Corlett said: "I don't think it is ever a good thing to lose a community pub.

"These are amenities that will never be replaced and each one that we lose changes the local landscape for the worse."

Amenity group The Friends of Quarry said it conducted a straw poll and a significant number of people wanted to retain the pub but there were also a significant number who expressed indifference.

Maurice East said: "The loss of The Chequers is not desirable but the application highlights many issues which suggest that the viability of the business is under severe pressure.

"The application makes a strong case that conversion to a single dwelling offers the best prospect for the building to be preserved and retain its historic features."

Dave Richardson, of the Oxford branch of real ale group CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), said his preferred option would be for the building to reopen as a pub.

He said: "We don’t want to lose any pub but if there are enough objections perhaps the city council will maintain its recent tough line of not allowing pub conversions.

"It may be a valid point that there are two other pubs nearby but you have to ask how hard the owner tried to keep it going if the longer term plan was to convert it to residential.”

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

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