The MCF have applied for planning permission (23 February) to:

1. Demolish approximately a third of the existing Grade II listed building including the skittle alley in the conservation area
   

2. Build a large new auditorium attached to the rear of The George Inn and

3. Change the use from a public house with landlord accommodation to a non-residential institutional building with meeting rooms and large creche to entertain the children.

Here is the plan of what they propose. The orange marks the only original walls that are being kept of the original buildings:

This raises the following concerns:

• This is the heart of the Martock Conservation Area.
  Both visitors and natives of Martock cherish the beautiful built heritage of Church Street, and this new auditorium will be fully visible from both churchyard and the road
• When the George Inn was listed, the skittle alley and other previous single storey building were included.
  
• It is a Grade II listed building.
  A large modern building, doubling the size of the George building amd increasing its height dramatically, and with the high vaulted space they wish for, will seriously compromise this fine old set of buildings.
• The intended site is a matter of yards from the nationally famous, unspoilt, Grade I Treasurers House.
  The large new auditorium will inextricably spoil the context of that miraculous survival of a medieval complex of buildings in their ancient setting, The Treasurers House is vested in the care of The National Trust, who have a duty to preserve both this house and its setting for the nation.  The appliction says the MCF wish to cut down all the trees between The George and The Treasurers House.  From this splendid mediaeval hall house, you will then get the full glare of the glass panels and rendered concrete block walls topped with an arrogant zinc lantern!
• This site on the car park of The George is clearly marked on the Environment Agency’s flood zone.
  The Agency has already made an observation on the current SSDC Draft Core Strategy 2010 that development “in flood risk areas must be avoided in accordance with Policy EQ1”. Those of you who remember the wet winters of 1982 and 2000 will know that surrounding houses are never far away from flooding here, and any building on this site will exacerbate the matter. The George Inn itself was flooded in July 2004.
  

• Loss of employment.
  In the recent application by the MCF to convert a unit on the Martock Industrial Estate , the SSDC said it would cause “the loss of an employment site”. Tony Lock was employing 10 full and part-time employees at the George at the time the MCF purchased it in March 2011.
• The new building will reduce the amount of car parking on the site. The current membership list of the MCF shows that the majority of its members live outside Martock parish. Again, in the recent planning application cited above, SSDC felt that the pressure of on-road parking would cause bad problems. The road in front of The George is Martock’s busiest central artery at all times, and the large amount of additional on road parking would quite literally be dangerous and fray tempers, and it was a mjor reason for refusing their then application. The majority of MCF members live outside the parish, and car parking will be even less adequate for their needs if they use the car park to build on. Their busy Sunday services are held at the same time as All Saints services, which further exacerbates the matter.    The application is to build a 250 seat auditorium, with just 16 car parking spaces!
• And it won't be a pub any more! The George, of all the pubs in Martock, was the one with bags of space and bags of atmosphere.  We would love to buy it back for Martock and give us once more the community hub we have had here since before 1631
  

To register an objection to the proposed development and/or change of use please email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Please ensure you include the planning application numbers 12/00683/CON, 12/00419/FUL & 12/00420/LBC, your forename, surname, address, contact number, comments and why you object.