From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Alex Jee, 17 August 2022.

The Crown Inn, Stone in Oxney near Tenterden, to become homes under plans.

A 300-year-old country pub could be converted into homes under new plans.

Furious residents have hit out over an application to convert The Crown Inn near Tenterden.

The Stone in Oxney pub, which also included a two-room Bed and Breakfast, closed in 2016.

Having changed ownership several times since the turn of the century, it shut after unsuccessfully turning into a bistro-style restaurant.

The buildings in question include the pub itself as well as an annexed garage on the property that has been converted into living quarters, along with a wood shelter.

These will be turned into two separate houses, each with car parking spaces, bicycle storage and recreation space, with the shelter becoming a summer house / home office.

Plans submitted to Ashford Borough Council propose turning the pub building itself into a "generous five bedroom dwelling" with the aid of a two-storey extension.

The pub's last incarnation was as an up-market bistro.

The pub's front entrance on the junction of Catt’s Hill and The Street would be replaced with a new window and the entrance from the car park would be used as the new main door.

Meanwhile, the converted garage would be extended to become a larger, one-bedroom house, with the shelter-turned-summer-house included in the grounds.

The plans have been received poorly in the village, with numerous residents saying that the area needs the pub to return.

The Street homeowner John Morgan said that he was "disgusted at the thought" of the plans.

"That pub used to be the social hub of the entire village and beyond, and it can be again if it is done in the right way," he explained.

The business closed permanently in 2016.

The building's south entrance would become the new main door.

"There is nowhere else for us to go if we want to have a drink and socialise.

"The nearest pub is the "Ferry Inn," but you can't drive there if you want to drink and you would never want to walk that road at night.

Before plans were submitted, the pub was listed on the market in April 2020, but received no bids towards the £495,000 price tag.

Daniel Lyward, chair of Stone-cum-Ebony Parish Council, said that the sale was "unrealistic" and was never likely to happen.

"The timing is very questionable given it was just weeks after lockdown started – all pubs in the country had to close by law," he said.

The plans have prompted fury among residents.

"A potential purchaser would find it extremely difficult to gain a mortgage at such a time, or risk such an investment not knowing when they might be allowed to reopen.

"It was a fine pub not so long ago. Running profitably, serving the local community, with walkers on the Saxon Shore Way providing a steady foot fall of thirsty and hungry passers by.

"Families were once welcomed, and our whole community felt it had a place to go. Without our local, we lose what in countless ways can rightly be called the hub of the village."

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Liane Castle, 13 July 2024.

Plans to turn The Crown Inn pub near Tenterden into homes refused.

Plans to turn a 300-year-old pub into two homes have been refused by councillors who feared the “unacceptable loss” of a community facility.

The Crown Inn near Tenterden closed in 2016, not long after being turned into a bistro-style restaurant.

It has sat empty ever since, prompting owners to submit plans to convert the pub building itself into a "generous five-bedroom dwelling" with a two-storey extension.

Meanwhile, the converted garage would have been extended to become a larger, one-bedroom house, with the shelter-turned-summer-house included in the grounds.

When they were first submitted, plans were received poorly in the village, with numerous residents saying the area needs the pub to return.

Following a meeting last month, the decision to refuse the development was made.

The decision notice said: “The proposal would result in the unacceptable loss of a community facility, and there has been an absence of robust justification and evidence to justify that loss.

“It has not been demonstrated that the facility no longer serves the community and the application has failed to identify an equivalent or alternative community facility that provides a similar offer which meets the needs of residents.

“Furthermore, it has not been shown that the facility is no longer viable, and that all reasonable efforts have been made to market the facility.

“The development therefore fails to comply with the economic and social objectives of sustainable development.”

The pub, which also includes a two-room bed and breakfast, is located within the Stone-in-Oxney Conservation Area.

If the plans were approved, shelters outside the pub would have been converted into a summer house or an office and the existing shed would have been demolished to make way for a new parking area.

While the building itself is not listed, it is designated as an Asset of Community Value.

Before plans were submitted, the pub was listed on the market in April 2020, but received no bids towards the £495,000 price tag.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Daniel Esson, 15 December 2025.

The Crown Inn pub - closed for nine years in Stone in Oxney, near Tenterden - could become housing despite village ‘disgust’

A historic country pub that has been closed for nine years could be turned into housing - despite similar plans being snubbed last year.

It is the latest attempt by the owners of The Crown Inn, in Stone in Oxney, near Tenterden, to convert the 300-year-old tavern.

Previous plans were rejected by Ashford Borough Council (ABC), which said it would be an “unacceptable loss of a community facility”.

Villagers had expressed their “disgust” at the proposals, arguing the pub “used to be a social hub” and could be again.

But new planning documents insist that the business is “no longer viable”.

This is despite the current owners ploughing £500,000 into “upgrading, refurbishing and extending” the venue after buying it in 2007.

They had reopened it in 2009 with “an enhanced food and drink offering”.

Under the plans the Crown Inn will be converted into one five-bedroom home and a smaller one-bedroom one.

“However, it quickly became apparent that the business model needed to change to remain viable,” the documents say.

“Planning permission was obtained to provide two bed and breakfast rooms on the first and second floors, and the business subsequently operated as a Country Bistro and Bar with associated B&B accommodation.

“Despite all the renovation works, the change to the business model and extensive marketing initiatives, promotions and offers, the applicant ran the business at a significant loss every year of the seven years they were trading.”

Now, the building on The Street has been unused since 2016.

In 2024, Ashford Borough Council (ABC) rejected plans to convert it into a home, saying it would amount to “unacceptable loss of a community facility,” despite it already having been empty for many years.

In new plans submitted earlier this month, the owners insist that the pub has no chance of being brought back into use, with a “very limited” response to attempts to market it for £650,000 all-in.

“The location of the public house is the main reason why it is not of interest to potential operators,” says the marketing report by surveyors and estate agents firm Sibly Pares.

“Stone in Oxney is in a very rural area with minimal residents in the immediate surrounding area.

“There are fewer than 80 dwellings within reasonable walking distances of the pub.”

A supporting statement by DHL planning consultancy adds: “This vacant facility is no longer viable, and all reasonable efforts have been made to market the facility in its entirety.”

Instead, the applicants are seeking to subdivide the site, converting the main pub building into a “generous” five-bed house, and the annexe into a one-bed home.

It is not yet known when ABC will decide on the plans, but a target deadline of January 30 has been set.

No new objections have been lodged so far.