Sussex village pub plans to convert car park into a garden

Pub chain Stonegate are currently seeking planning approval from Horsham District Council to carry out the works at The Anchor Inn in Storrington.

They point out that the pub industry is going through a tough time at the moment and they hope that the new garden will add to the Anchor’s attraction.

It is planned to erect a timber roofed pergola, new ‘garden pod seating booths’, decking and a paved terrace.

An existing garage is planned to be converted into a serving area and new planting is proposed to ‘soften’ the garden area. Close boarded fencing would also be installed.

Agents for Stonegate say that the the proposed development would not affect a nearby listed building. They say that the proposed pergola and the seating pods would be hidden from view by existing hedging.

In a statement to the council, the agents for Stonegate say that the proposals are being made “to help sustain the pub as a business for the foreseeable future.

"The pub industry is facing challenges and varying degrees of uncertainty. To help try and overcome such uncertainty the client (Stonegate) felt the need of a different offering to that, that currently exists within the pub.

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"It was decided that a welcoming external trade garden with pergola and seating booths will help promote business, especially in the warmer months. The inclusion of a roof to the pergola also allows the garden to be used during wet weather.”