From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Megan Carr, 30 January 2020.

Brexit Day celebrations in Kent.

After three long years of Brexit, the UK will finally be leaving the European Union tomorrow.

While it's not the outcome everyone wanted, for some it is an occasion worth celebrating. So, whether you rooted leave from the start or are just happy it's all over, here's where you can mark the historic day.

The Old House at Home, High Street, will have a barbecue and offers on alcoholic drinks.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By KentOnline reporter, 20 April 2021.

Memories of The Old House at Home pub in Sheerness High Street that could be demolished to make way for flats.

The loss of a pub is often mourned by many, particularly those that have been around for what seems like forever.

One on the "under threat" list is the Old House at Home in Sheerness. So before it disappears to make way for flats, Bel Austin recalls her memories of visiting as a child when she tap danced on the bar and was served alcohol - it was the 1940s...

People walk by The Old House at Home, which was undergoing refurbishment, in 2015. Picture: John Westhrop.

There is no denying the old ‘uns dislike change.

They don’t want buildings torn down to create something new and even dislike items swapped to different shelves in shops.

It must be something to do with keeping all that is familiar and not destroying memories.

You can hardly blame them when radical change is not always for the better.

We’re reminded of clinging to the past with a recent proposal to tear down the Old House at Home pub in Sheerness High Street to make way for a block of flats.

I must admit I felt a bit of nostalgia myself about the prospect.

As a kid, living across the road in what was Albion Place, it was often my job to go to fetch a jug of black and tan drawn from the wood for my dad and a bottle of milk stout for mum.

My reward was a packet of crisps with salt in a twist of blue paper. Sometimes there was a bottle of pop too, paid for by the regulars in return for my tap dancing on the bar.

Of course that would most certainly not be allowed today.

Who would serve a child with alcohol and an ounce of Digger shag? Even worse, who would haul a minor up onto the bar? But this was the mid 1940s and things were very different then.

The Old House at Home, pictured on 2008 when it was one of three Sheerness pubs for which brewer Shepherd Neame was seeking new tenants.

Aaron Booth, pictured in 2015 when he became the new landlord of The Old House at Home, shows off the new pub garden, which had undergone refurbishment. Picture: John Westhrop.

June Luxon, of St George’s Avenue, Sheerness, has memories of the Old House at Home some years later - of log fires, darts teams, league matches, tontine clubs, playing crib, cards and dominoes, and men enjoying an excellent pint straight from the barrel.

“It is so sad to think a pub which always had such a welcoming atmosphere could be demolished,” she said.

She and husband Ron regarded it as their local when Vic and Rose Hough were behind the “jump” before moving to the "Ship" (now the "Aviator") at Queenborough Corner.

After that Albert and Doreen Sell became the hosts and it was a very popular watering hole.

Albert was always impeccably dressed - nothing as casual as a jumper, always a collar and tie.

Deborah Piggott was the new landlady of the Old House at Home in 2005. Picture: Mike Smith.

From left, Mandy Attree, Lenny Pailthorpe, Ian "Pitbull" Johnson, Esmond Wyatt from KAA, Lee Reed and Lisa Reed at the Old House at Home in 2010 - the pub hosted a wrestling show and raised thousands for the Kent Air Ambulance. Picture: Andy Payton.

The pub too was gleaming, from the old-fashioned brass to the polished bar.

She recalled that Thursday nights were men’s darts nights and on Friday she ran a tontine (collected money for a Christmas pay-out).

June, a born organiser, was happy to cheer the men on as they played darts but thought the ladies too should have the chance to aim the arrows.

So Tuesday night saw them in action.

Inevitably they challenged the men in friendly matches both home and away and the next step had to be the league.

Members of Sheppey Ladies Friendly Darts League, of which the Old House at Home was a member, enjoy a night out at the Wheatsheaf Hall.

So it was the Sheppey Ladies Friendly Darts League on the Double Board, with the co-operation of Jean Clifford who was born at the Old House at Home.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the League.

She retired from it 30 years ago and doubts she’d even hit the board these days.

But her greatest hour was playing a friendly at the Red Lion, Blue Town when she put all three darts in a double 19 to win the game.

As for the Old House, its fate is in the hands of the planners at Swale Council.

An artist's impression of what the building that could replace the Old House at Home in Sheerness High Street would look like.

If the plans are given the green light, it would see the venue demolished and replaced with a three and four-storey building with commercial space on the ground floor.

The development would include five one-bedroom and seven two-bedroom flats - but all that went before would be gone, apart from fading memories and newspaper cuttings.

Blundering council worker approves demolition of pubs while ‘testing’ software.

A junior council worker “testing” new software accidentally approved the demolition of two pubs and rejected a planning application by saying: “Your proposal is whack.”

Five applicants who used the planning portal on Swale Borough Council’s website were stunned when they received decision notices featuring rude remarks.

As well as the questionable language, the decisions are legally binding, meaning the council now faces paying thousands of pounds to reverse the mistakes.

The spectacular blunder came about when staff at the Mid Kent planning support team, which handles online applications on behalf of two Kent councils, tried to fix a software glitch.

A junior member of the team was said to have been testing out solutions to a software problem on August 19 when five decisions, intended to be dummy templates, were formally published.

The Happy Pants Ranch animal sanctuary in Sittingbourne, Kent had an application rejected after it sought permission to convert agricultural land for use in animal rescue.

The official response from the council explained that the charity had been turned down because “your proposal is whack”, adding, in the line below, “no mate, proper whack”.

There was potential for more dramatic consequences elsewhere when proposals for the partial demolition of a pub in Sittingbourne was inadvertently granted. The formal response said, perplexingly: “Incy, wincy spider.”

The demolition of the Old House at Home pub in Sheerness, Kent to make way for flats was also given the green light, with a response that was more existential than might be expected for routine planning applications.

It said: “Why am I doing this, am I the chosen one?”

The decisions were quickly removed from the council’s website, but the authority has since received legal advice saying that the erroneous decisions are legally binding and it will now have to quash them through judicial review.

The review is expected to take three months and £8,000 of public funds to complete.

Amey James, founder of the Happy Pants Ranch, said the survival of the charity rested on the outcome of the application, as it fights to stay on its current site.

She said: “Obviously the comments are quite laughable, but if I had gone on there this morning before I saw the email from Swale council about the error I think I would have had a heart attack. I would have been properly panicking; the future of the ranch depends on this decision.”

She added: “I kept thinking this was going to go to the planning committee in September. But now because of this, it’s probably going to be delayed even further.

“At this rate, we are probably not going to know by Christmas. It’s just awful not knowing.”

Cllr Cameron Beart, who represents Queenborough and Halfway on Swale Borough Council, said he was “absolutely horrified” that the demolition of the Old House at Home pub was among the decisions inadvertently authorised.

“I make no comment about the application in general, but if it has been approved without any consideration and without any conditions attached, it is a serious issue,” he added.

Swale Borough Council said it had started an investigation into the debacle and confirmed that a junior officer at the Mid Kent service believed the comments would not be published.

A statement released on behalf of the council’s leadership team, Cllr Roger Truelove and Cllr Mike Baldock, said: “These errors will have to be rectified but this will cause totally unnecessary concern to applicants.

“This is not the first serious problem following the transfer of our planning administration to Mid Kent shared services. We will wait for the outcome of a proper investigation and then consider our appropriate response as a council.”

The council has said applicants affected have been notified.

It later emerged that an incorrect planning decision was also issued by Maidstone Borough Council, which has its online planning system managed by Mid Kent.

It related to a farm in Marden applying to convert an outbuilding into a holiday let, which was rejected with the comment: “Don't even bother re-applying lol”, then followed by a second remark: “Not even joking lmao.”

Maidstone Borough Council apologised for the mistake.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Jordan Ifield, 14 May 2022.

Plans for micropub and flats at site of historic high street inn Old House at Home in Sheerness slammed.

A decision on the future of a “key corner” pub on the Isle of Sheppey has been delayed as councillors slammed the new design for flats.

The Old House at Home on the end of Sheerness High Street has been serving pints since the 1860s.

But after a turbulent period, which saw five landlords over 10 years, the pub closed its doors for the final time in 2020.

It has sat dormant since and plans to redevelop the site were submitted last year by Mr M McAllister.

Plans included demolishing the pub and replacing it with a three- and four-storey residential building, including seven flats and a micropub on the ground floor.

Any concerns of anti-social behaviour from the micropub were downplayed by planning officers who said they “tend to have less noise and impact” than regular pubs.

Despite its Victorian history and location on Sheerness High Street, the pub is not historically listed or in any conservation area.

But when debating the new flats on Thursday, Swale councillors were concerned about the design of the replacement flats.

Cllr Oliver Eakin (Swale) said: “It’s at the entrance of the high street so the design is quite important.

“The design is completely different from what is there currently. The original building is of good design and on its own has a historical importance.

“However, over time some of the more modern parts aren't great, and if I’m being honest I’m not sure which historical parts are likely to be saved.

“The design is slightly boring, it’s not going to win any awards is it?”

Meanwhile Cllr Monique Bonnie (Independent) went further and suggested delaying proceedings until a better design was on the table: “I know this end of the high street quite well.

“I really don’t like the design and I’m going to be radical, I’m going to go as far as proposing a deferral.

“The principle of development here I don’t have a problem with, nor having a micropub or residential flats. I do have a problem with that design.

“This is a fundamental key corner of our high street to me, and if we don’t get that design right then we undermine the rest of the high street.

“I think it looks a bit cheap quite honestly, it’s very bland. There is some repetition along the high street with its historic buildings, I think something more imaginative could be done.”

Eventually councillors voted to defer the plans with 13 in favour and one against.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Alex Langridge, 3 September 2022.

The Old House at Home in Sheerness plans for micropub and flats approved.

A prominent pub dating back to the 1860s is set to be knocked down and turned into flats and a micropub.

The original designs for The Old House at Home, on the Isle of Sheppey, were slammed by councillors in May who described them as "boring" and "cheap" but they have since been reworked.

The pub, previously owned by Shepherd Neame, occupies a prominent position at the junction of High Street and Trinity Way and has been serving pints for at least 150 years.

However, it closed its doors for the final time in 2020.

It had repeatedly come to the attention of the authorities due to “anti-social behaviour, substance abuse and numerous other infringements of the licensing regulations”.

It has sat empty ever since and plans to redevelop the site were submitted last year by Mr M McAllister.

A statement backing the plans said: “There has been a gradual decline in the number of pubs in Sheerness partly due to a shift in culture, the introduction of national chains such as Wetherspoon and a move away from Sheerness’s association as a naval town.”

The original plans for the flats and micropub, which were turned down.

The proposals include demolishing the pub and replacing it with a three and four-storey residential building – slightly higher than the original plan – including eight flats and a micropub on the ground floor.

But when debating the plans earlier this year, Swale councillors were concerned about the design of the flats and voted to defer the application.

At a Swale council planning committee meeting earlier this month, new designs were considered that had a more traditional appearance in the use of wholly brick elevations, traditional window detailing and a mansard roof, which has four sloping sides.

The application report adds: “The proposal is considered to be of good design and more reflective of the traditional form of development within the high street that members were keen to be adopted for the scheme.”

The original scheme featured seven flats but the redesign saw the addition of an extra one, as the remodelled roof meant there was more floorspace.

The amended design has been approved by councillors.

Despite its Victorian history, the pub is not historically listed or in any conservation area but planning officers stated: “Its long-standing contribution to the local community through the provision of a public house has resulted in the building having some historic value.

“However, the creation of a micropub on the ground floor of the new proposed building will help to ensure that the site retains a public house on the site, which will be of continued benefit to the wider locality.”

Committee member Cllr Cameron Beart, who represents Queenborough and Halfway, said he was not convinced a micropub would ever open, predicting it was more likely to be used as a shop or something else.

His suggestion to add a condition that anything of historical interest found during the demolition work should not only be examined and recorded, but also retained rather than end up in a skip, was accepted.

The amended plan was approved unanimously by councillors, who met at Swale House on August 18.

There was no comment from Sheerness Town Council.

Previously, its chairman, Matthew Brown, who is no longer a town councillor, said he was completely against the scheme.

He said: “I would be strongly opposed to the destruction of this landmark building as it goes against the town’s character and long term aims.

“It’s become a bit of an eyesore in this area but there needs to be a very strong argument put forward before any consideration is given to demolishing a building with so much character.”

If a micropub does open, it would be the third in Sheerness, joining the "Flying Sheep" and "A Y’s Man" Free House.