Sussex village pub to be turned into flats

The application for the Lamb Inn, in Rusper, was given the nod by the planning committee on Tuesday (January 7).

The pub closed in August 2023 as the business was no longer financially viable, and planning permission was given in the November to turn it into four flats.

Applicant Benedict Bokot-Ingram said of the latest plans: “The proposal will be adding much-needed housing to Horsham district, and re-purposes an existing building that otherwise would be left to dilapidate over time.”

The development will be made up of four two-bedroom flats and two one-bedroom flats. There will be parking for 14 cars.

Rear extensions to the building – described as ugly – will be demolished and replaced with a two-storey extension.

The council received eight letters objecting to the plans, as well as an objection from Rusper Parish Council. Concerns raised included over-development, the loss of the pub, and noise.

One objector said he had no problem with the initial approval for four flats but felt the latest design was ‘monotonous’ and ‘looks like something that belongs more on an industrial estate than a rural hamlet’.

But councillors agreed with officers that the plans should be approved, voting unanimously to do so.

To view the application, log on to public-access.horsham.gov.uk and search for DC/24/0874.