Fury in UK seaside town over plans to turn beloved pub into an ‘abomination’

The pub's caller plan has been criticised by locals (Image: Mackenzie Wheeler)

A developer’s imaginativeness to makeover a burnt-down pub successful the seaside municipality of Fareham hasn’t gone down good with locals - who person dubbed it an “unsightly and abominable” blot connected the coastline.

The Osborne View pub, owned by Hall and Woodhouse connected the northwestern extremity of Portsmouth Harbour, retained superior occurrence harm aft an electrical responsibility successful a tumble dryer sparked a blaze past February.

The brewery chain, which operates 180 pubs successful the southbound of England, unveiled a melodramatic caller imaginativeness for the boozer precocious past twelvemonth - implicit with modern rectangular architecture, a formation barroom and 4 storeys with unfastened terrace views onto the shingled seafront.

Deciding that the aged Victorian-style operation was "not charismatic oregon of immoderate quality", the steadfast hired architects Mackenzie Wheeler to wholly reimagine its design. This resulted successful a "greatly enhanced" alternative, boasting "a much coherent, progressive and modern style", according to Hall and Woodhouse. 

Locals with diverging opinions haven't been shy astir criticising the "abominable" plans successful a slew of letters of objection addressed to Fareham Borough Council. 

The pub's archetypal operation was successful classical Victorian seaside gathering benignant (Image: Google)

“Whilst we were primitively precise pleased that the Osborne View was going to beryllium rebuilt, and imagined it would beryllium a spot much modern than the original, we did not envisage this futuristic monstrosity,” 1 idiosyncratic wrote.

“This is … not the South of France oregon Spain - [the caller design] is an eyesore connected the beauteous coastal location,” they added.

Others described the plan arsenic “stark, unsightly” and “outstandingly ugly”, with 1 writing: “The caller plans are terrible. What a monolithic eyesore.” 

Described by galore objectors arsenic an “iconic” portion of section history, the boozer was fashionable with erstwhile England shot manager Sir Alf Ramsay, who steered the squad to triumph successful the 1966 World Cup.

Hall and Woodhouse’s subcontractors reportedly arrived to the caller proposal’s solid frontage and angled operation aft mind-mapping “inspiration from the oversea and … earthy environment” including “the azygous of the beach, the well-seasoned timber of ships … and the weathered alloy of docks, wharfs and warehouses”.

But Fareham residents little inclined to assistance the brewery creator licence person slammed it arsenic an “unsightly modern building” that much intimately resembles “a multistorey car park” than a pub.

Meanwhile, immoderate were blessed to person their section backmost astatine immoderate cost. “The caller physique plan was ever going to beryllium antithetic to the erstwhile hotch-potch design,” 1 nonmigratory reasoned.

“I’m definite it volition beryllium overmuch amended for some customers and staff. [I am] precise overmuch looking guardant to having our pub back.” 

Planning officers volition o.k. oregon cull the plans by March 3. 

Express.co.uk has contacted Hall and Woodhouse for comment.