Historic Grade II-listed village pub in furious planning row with local council over outdoor seating area

Punch Pubs has lodged a planning appeal in a bid to retain a pergola at a beloved watering hole.

The Pelican Inn is a Grade II-listed establishment in the village of Froxfield in Wiltshire.

The owners sought retrospective permission from Wiltshire Council in October 2025 for the wooden structure.

It features a corrugated sheet roof and was installed above a customer terrace in April 2021.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

The Pelican Inn sits along the A4 road connecting Marlborough and Hungerford.

Wiltshire Council rejected the application, prompting the appeal, which the Planning Inspectorate confirmed this week.

Froxfield Parish Council declined to comment on the original planning submission.

The council's conservation officer raised concerns about the damage the structure would cause to both the setting and original external appearance of the historic pub.

Officials criticised the pergola's design, noting its wrap-around configuration.

They also noted the awkward, prominent positioning of its side section failed to comply with conservation legislation, policy or guidance.

"The structure is considered alien in the context of an 18th-century inn," the conservation officer stated.

A planning inspector will now determine the outcome of the appeal.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Sadiq Khan set to rake in £1million from London pubs amid business rates raid
• World Cup knockout matches will see pubs stay open until early morning in major boost for boozers
• Keir Starmer launches ‘devastating’ new attack on pubs leaving thousands on brink of closure

The decision will be reached through an exchange of written statements rather than a public hearing.

Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter