Plans to give Gosport town centre a boost by converting a vacant building into a pub have been given the go-ahead.
Amber Taverns has received consent to breathe new life into the former Gosport Conservative Club, which closed in February after being hit by falling membership and rising costs.
A planning statement that accompanied the application said: "Amber Taverns are passionate about public houses and the communities they serve.
"Rather than just purchasing existing pubs, Amber Taverns invests heavily in restoring and creating new premises that are often in conservation areas or listed buildings."
The statement said the proposed conversion would involve only limited changes to the outside of the 110-year-old building.
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It added: "Internally, there will be a central bar area, behind which will be the serving area and glass-wash area. A lounge area will be located on the left side of the building with a dedicated darts area.
"The former snooker room will be utilised as a cellar/bottle storage area, with a lift/cellar hoist connecting to the glass-wash area.
"The applicant will not serve food other than basic bar snacks, with no cooking or heating required. As such, there is no requirement for kitchen extraction equipment which may affect the external appearance of the building."
Amber said the scheme aimed to benefit the area by upgrading an existing licensed premises.
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It added: "The proposed development will deliver a significant investment locally, re-purposing and enhancing the vacant unit through internal changes, while also creating a number of part-time and full-time jobs.
"The applicants are established public house operators who have an excellent track record of delivering high quality public houses across the UK.
"The proposals look to discourage anti-social behaviour and 'design-out' crime, both internally and externally.
"The drinking establishment will benefit from CCTV coverage inside and outside the premises. Internally, the layout allows for members of staff to see across the premises with no blind spots not covered by CCTV.
"Overall, the significant investment and associated works will radically uplift the appearance of the building."
Now the scheme has been approved by Gosport Borough Council, which said the pub was likely to increase footfall in the town centre and boost the evening economy.
It added: "Given the proposals would not introduce extensions to the property there would not be any harmful impact on the occupiers of neighbouring properties in terms of loss of light or outlook.
"The site is going to continue to be used as a drinking establishment and the impacts would be largely the same."
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