A VILLAGE pub has been demolished before planning permission was granted.

A planning application had been lodged with Tewkesbury Borough Council for permission to demolish the Harvest Home pub, at Greet.

But work started on Monday last week, May 19, to raze the building to the ground before approval, due to be determined by delegated authority, was granted.

An application was first made to the planning authority on April 4 for permission to demolish the building but not proceeded with. A second application was lodged on April 30 and validated on May 11. This application was applying to demolish the pub and build three five-bedroomed houses on the site.

However, a demolition team moved onto the site last week and began work.

A spokesman for the borough council said there had been a problem with emails and some more information had been asked from the applicant - Mr M Doughty, of Castletown, Isle of Man - prior to determination but not received due to an 'emailing' problem.

Paul Skelton, Tewkesbury Borough Council’s development manager, said: “The property owners formally notified us that they intended to demolish the pub. We asked for more information before allowing the demolition, but unfortunately this didn’t reach us before demolition took place. However, this would not have affected the outcome and the demolition would have been permitted to proceed.”

A number of objections to the plans had been received, including from Winchcombe Town Council which was concerned with access and egress onto Evesham Road. The town council also objected to the design and materials for the new houses stating they were not in keeping with the street scene.