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The Milton Arms was situated on Dorchester Hill. This pub closed in 2021.

Source: Elizabeth Sellen

2022 Planning statement

This planning statement supports the planning application for the Change of Use of the Milton Arms public house to a single dwelling. The Milton Arms is a two storey building with single storey side extensions comprising public house facilities, bar and restaurant, on the ground floor with residential accommodation on the first floor. The existing layout is shown on Plan 1 attached. The proposal is to change the use of the property to a single dwelling house with four bedrooms on the first floor and three reception rooms together with a kitchen on the ground floor. The character and structure of the existing building will be retained. The property is situated within the village of Winterbourne Whitechurch at the junction of Dorchester Hill (A354) and Milton End. It is also within the Winterbourne Whitechurch Conservation Area but it is not considered that the change of use will have any impact upon the Conservation Area. The relevant planning policy to the proposal is Policy 27 of the North Dorset Local Plan Part 1 (adopted January 2016). Policy 27 refers to the retention of community facilities (including public houses) and that proposals leading to their loss will only be permitted if it can be demonstrated that the use is no longer commercially viable or cannot be made viable. The recent history of the property is that the applicants acquired the property in April 2015 from Punch Taverns PLC who had closed the public house in 2012. Following their acquisition, the property was completely refurbished at a cost in excess of £150k and reopened in September 2015. A member of the applicant's family, who had previously managed the Anvil in Pimperne, managed the public house on a full time basis, living on the premises. Over the course of the next two and a half years, despite every effort by the family it proved impossible to make an economic return. In Easter 2018 the public house was closed and Savills were instructed to market the property on a freehold or leasehold basis. Savills marketing resulted in a couple, relocating from licenced premises in Cornwall, taking a 15 year lease of the premises and acquiring all of its fixtures and fittings. The Milton Arms reopened for business before Christmas 2018. The new tenants sought to upgrade the premises by enhancing the kitchen facilities and replacing the restaurants fixtures and fittings. These improvements were carried out pursuant to leasing arrangements with appropriate suppliers. The public house was closed throughout the Covid pandemic. Following the reopening the tenants failed to achieve sufficient business to make its operation an economic operation and closed the Milton Arms for the third time in ten years. The tenants declared themselves personally bankrupt on the 18th October 2021 and shortly thereafter their trustee in bankruptcy handed the lease back to the applicants. Following their bankruptcy all of the items within the kitchen and restaurant the subject of leasing arrangements were removed. On the 16th November 2021 the applicants instructed Christie & Co to remarket the premises. A copy of their latest marketing report dated 21st June 2022 is attached. Since that report the property is still being marketed and although some expressions of interest have been made none have progressed. As part of their marketing Christie's offered the property to the Winterbourne Whitechurch Parish Council but this offer has not been pursued by the Council. The applicants contend, having regard to the evidence, that the Milton Arms use as a public house is not viable and cannot be made so. There are a significant number of public houses within the surrounding area which are more than sufficient to meet the needs of the local community. It is considered that the cessation of the Milton Arms as a public house complies with the requirements of Policy 27 of the North Dorset Local Plan and that its change of use to a single dwelling house is considered acceptable.

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