This application has now been approved.
Appleteme, Tish Dockerty’s apple centred business, has applied for planning permission to convert its current workshop on Lloyds Yard to flexible use as a restaurant, micropub and apple pressing. If the application is approved, it will add to the growing family of micropubs in Ludlow.
But there concerns from neighbours and Ludlow Town Council about parking, noise, smoking, extraction fumes from cooking and emergency exits. I have asked for this application to be considered by the Southern Planning Committee.
There is no formal definition of a micropub. The Micropubs Association says:
“A micropub is a small freehouse which listens to its customers, mainly serves cask ales, promotes conversation, shuns all forms of electronic entertainment and dabbles in traditional pub snacks.”
In the Ludlow, we have the Dog Hangs Well (John Saxon would probably prefer to call it a parlour pub) on Corve Street. Saxon’s second homage to the pubs of past years is The Blood Bay on High Street. The Wicked Grin sits on Fish Street, just off the narrows of King Street. Artisan Ales is at the top of Old Street. Almost opposite, there are plans to convert an empty shop at 17 Tower Street into a micropub. Now Appleteme wants to add to Ludlow’s portfolio of micropubs.
You can imagine the micropub crawl. Starting at the Brewery and walking up through town and wobbling back to Appleteme before catching the train or a piling into a booked taxi.
We need to increase footfall in Ludlow. We are almost unique in being a town that time almost forgot. But we are now fully in the 21st century world with competing attractions that will draw people away from towns like ours.
Appleteme is located on HGV yard in the original home of Ludlow Brewery before its moved to the railway shed and became one of Ludlow’s most successful venues. Lloyd’s Yard is not an attractive location but the building is attractive inside.
The venue is located close to housing. Five neighbours have objected and Ludlow Town Council has decided to lodge an objection. They are concerned about parking, noise, smoking, extraction fumes from cooking, emergency exits and lack of access to disabled toilets.
The planning application (20/00488/FUL) does not specify what hours the new facility will be open. However, on 27 February, Shropshire Council licenced the premises for sale of alcohol Monday to Friday from 6pm until 10pm, with closing at 10.30pm. on Saturdays, the licence is from 11am to 10pm, closing 10.30pm.
In the light of neighbourhood concerns, I have called for the Southern Planning Committee to consider this application.