Closed ancient Surrey pub set for new lease of life as bankrupt council votes to upgrade own asset

In the past the council has greenlit plans to modernise buildings it owns ahead of potential sales, with high profile examples including Goldsworth Road industrial estate as well as commercial space in Woking town centre.

Other “innovative” uses of the council’s assets include renting them out as location shoots.

Now the council, which went bust in 2023 with debts approaching £2.6 billion, has approved plans to convert part of its historic Anchor pub in Knaphill.

The application is a rerun of plans approved in 2018 but which had lapsed because no work had started within three years of being rubber stamped.

Pressed during the Tuesday September 3 meeting as to why the council was seeking to make the changes, officers simply replied that these were not planning matters and therefore declined to answer.

The ancient hotel and pub was originally built in the late 1700s and is sometimes referred to as the Sandcastle due to its paint job.

The application will split the locally listed building into housing and a pub 30 per cent smaller than before.

Despite being an application put forward by Woking Borough Council, none of the new eight homes, three two-bed, and five one-bed, will be made affordable.

Councillor John Pearce (Liberal Democrat, Knaphill) spoke as ward member during the meeting.

He said that neither the residents association nor previous developers felt the site was suitable to be kept on “as a drinking establishment”. He said: “It’s not the view of residents that it should be used for that purposes and the level of clientele, the number of people using the establishment before was low and there are alternatives in the area.”

He also criticised the offroad parking available for people using the venue, saying spaces were very limited and the nearest car park was 300 metres away.

According to reports presented to the committee planners were keen to protect the pub due to the “importance of these uses for meeting the everyday needs of those living locally” “Pubs can also be regarded as community facilities and are therefore offered protection”, the papers read.

Councillor Daryl Jordan (Independent, Byfleet and West Byfleet) said: “It’s not really anything to debate about but considering the amount of homes in the development its a shame that it’s not social housing.”

Others in the meeting raised questions as to why no work have been carried out in the past, despite the prior approval, and why the council has again put in a bid to develop the pub.

Councillor Anila Javaid (Labour, Canalside) said: “Why has Woking Borough Council chosen to apply for this now and do they have funding to implement this plan – who will be the developer?”

However his question remained unanswered after being told it was not a planning matter and was therefore “not relevant”.

The application was passed by eight votes to one.