An old pub housed in a listed building of medieval origin could be converted into flats if Wiltshire Council approves a recent planning application.

Warminster’s Masons Arms is owned by Admiral Taverns, a large company that runs over 1,600 pubs across the UK and is seeking permission to transform the venue into three one-bedroom apartments, one two-bedroom apartment, and two two-bedroom dwellings.

In addition, the plans propose the construction of two three-bedroom homes on land to the rear of the site.

An undated photograph of the Masons Arms, likely to have been taken post-war.An undated photograph of the Masons Arms, likely to have been taken post-war. (Image: HCUK)

According to the application, the trading performance of the Masons Arms has been "declining and insufficient over the previous 3 years to support a tenant, cover rent or mortgage payments, or other operating costs associated with the business, despite financial aid from the landlord.”

Admiral Taverns reported that the volume of beer ordered shows the business’ weekly turnover is less than half the amount necessary to “provide sufficient margins for a long-term return on investment to operators and tenants.”

It is estimated that the pub sold 28,224 pints in 2023 and made a turnover of about £117,600 at an average of £5 per pint.

The proposal states that the site is “well located” for the suggested eight homes, with East Street being situated within close proximity to public transport links and shops.

Wiltshire Council is expected to make a decision on this application by mid-September.

In other planning news, an application has been submitted for the reconstruction of an Indian restaurant in Sherston, near Malmesbury, that was destroyed by a fire earlier this year.

The Bridge, formerly a pub known as the Carpenters Arms, was “gutted” after a fire occurred in April, tearing through the north-east end of the building.

One person was taken to hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation.One person was taken to hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation. (Image: Jane Milne)

In total, 13 firefighters attended the emergency from seven stations and the Easton B4040 road was closed while the blaze was tackled with four water jets.

A spokesperson for the restaurant described it as “traumatic” at the time, but now a planning application that could see the venue repaired is set to be considered by Wiltshire Council.

It states: “Reinstatement will restore the building to its former appearance with matching materials used to refinish the aesthetics of the building externally.

“Works are to be expedited to ensure that further deterioration of the structure is minimised, as well as returning the streetscape to its former position and reinstating a public amenity.”

Meanwhile, Minety substation is set to be extended after the application for the works was approved by the Northern Area Planning Committee.

The decision had initially been deferred in early 2024, after the committee requested further documentation, such as proof of the gap in capacity in the network that the extension was seeking to address.

This was provided by the applicant, National Grid, and presented to the committee at a meeting on Wednesday, July 17.

The existing Minety substation is located to the north of the B4040 between Minety and Charlton, and north of Stonehill Wood and already has four super-grid transformers.

The approved extension will allow for the installation of a further four transformers.

This will also require the culverting of a watercourse and the construction of an access road.

According to the application, the works are required to facilitate the connection of 450MVA of battery/solar generation and achieve greater reliability of the existing substation.

It was concluded that the extension would help to meet increased energy demand in the wider region and enable progress with the decarbonisation of the electricity supply network.