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Part of a historic Northampton pub is set to be demolished to make way for a new block of apartments.

A reserved matters planning application has been approved by West Northamptonshire Council to begin work on the landscaping around the proposed apartment building on land next to The Plough Hotel, Bridge Street.

The new complex will comprise 35 serviced apartments in place of a two-storey brick outbuilding to the rear of The Plough. The pub and hotel has been welcoming visitors for over a hundred years and was originally built as a coaching inn in the 1890s.

West Northants Council have approved a reserved matters application for work to go ahead on the demolition of part of the Plough Hotel in Northampton to build a block of apartments next to the historic pub.
Credit: Google Streetview — West Northants Council have approved a reserved matters application for work to go ahead on the demolition of part of the Plough Hotel in Northampton to build a block of apartments next to the historic pub. Credit: Google Streetview

During World War Two, it was used by the American Red Cross Society as a leave centre for American troops and a total of 174,000 servicemen stayed at the hotel. It still boasts a Victorian-style exterior with brick, stone masonry and mock beams.

The site has been the subject of many planning proposals since 2011, with developers New Life Hotels Ltd receiving outline approval for the apartment building in 2020. A previous proposal by New Life Hotels in 2016 to build 56 apartments in the same location was refused as the design of the development was “unacceptable due to its scale, design and choice of materials”.

Following the refusal, changes were made to the plans and the new apartment building will be “of traditional design, of a smaller scale” while using relevant brick detailing and other materials. The complex will be three storeys tall with car parking provided to the rear.

Three years after the initial outline planning approval, the designs for the landscaping and finer details of the proposals have been released. It outlines details for the exterior, including parking bays, cycle storage, planting and landscaping, and a bin collection area.

An aeriel view of the Plough Hotel. The outhouse that is to be demolished can be seen to the right of the pub.
Credit: Google Maps — An aeriel view of the Plough Hotel. The outhouse that is to be demolished can be seen to the right of the pub. Credit: Google Maps

Councillor William Barter, who represents the Deanshanger ward, said at the planning committee meeting on October 5: “I’m pretty familiar with this area.

“I see The Plough Hotel every time I drive into Northampton and it’s often struck me as a building that should be much more of a feature than it is, and if this helps then jolly good.”

The application was approved unanimously by the council last week.

Final plans to demolish part of historic Northampton pub approved to make way for more flats