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

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

Bill Bowkett

By Bill Bowkett


Published: 19/02/2026

- 17:11

Updated: 19/02/2026

- 17:13

The Pelican Inn is a Grade II-listed establishment in Wiltshire

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.

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.

Pub

The Pelican Inn sits between Marlborough and Hungerford

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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.

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

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