Plans to turn part of The Dirty Habit in Hollingbourne near Maidstone into bed and breakfast

Owners of a pub destroyed in a huge fire have plans to turn part of it into a bed and breakfast.

A planning application has been submitted to Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) by Elite Pubs, which runs The Dirty Habit in Hollingbourne.

The building in Upper Street dates back to the 18th Century and is Grade-II listed.

In October 2022, flames spread through the building, causing irreparable damage.

At one stage a dozen fire engines were at the scene, with crews spending hours tackling the blaze.

The road had to be closed and people living nearby were evacuated from their homes. There were no reported injuries.

Pictures from the aftermath showed the roof had been destroyed and windows blown out.

An application was submitted in May last year to reconstruct the place.

Documents revealed plans to return the building to its former state, except for the location of the kitchen and associated mechanical equipment.

A new application has now been submitted to convert part of the building into bed and breakfast accommodation.

Work on the pub is already under way, but Elite Pubs has asked for additional permission for several alterations whilst construction continues.

It was validated on Monday, June 24 and is awaiting a decision from the council.

A design statement for the plans says: “The proposed development will comprise rebuild and repair of the existing building, in line with the consented scheme, with the addition of the introduction of seven bed and breakfast rooms and facilities to the first and second floor; the addition of an infill range to the rear of the principal range, linking with the existing pizza restaurant; and a new detached fridge/freezer unit and bin store to the rear of the building, on the southwestern edge of the site.”

To accommodate the new bedrooms, plans show a reconfiguration of the main staircase to provide better access.

A single-storey extension will create a new entrance lobby and the infill of a door between the kitchen and store will form a snug.

Proposals also include reconfiguring the fencing and parking area for an external fridge-freezer and refuse storage.

This will result in one less space for customers, however, it states “parking numbers are still in line with local policy”.

It concludes: “The proposals will allow for the public house to be more economically robust through the creation of seven bed and breakfast rooms and this will contribute to the continued operation of this community facility within the village of Hollingbourne.”

Despite being damaged by the fire, a heritage statement says the building still retains “some architectural, historical, and archaeological interest”.

Contractors will recreate “aspects” of the original building’s appearance by preserving and enhancing features.

To see more planning applications and other public notices for your area, click here.

Elite Pubs runs the venue and many others across Kent and East Sussex. Initially, it hoped to have the site reopened by winter last year.

Those plans changed and the company said the opening would likely be delayed until summer 2024.

At the time, a spokesperson told KentOnline that a new target time had been confirmed but couldn’t say anything official until the New Year.

On the firm’s website, it says: “We’re delighted to announce we will be re-opening our doors EARLY 2025!

“The Dirty Habit will be restored to its former glory with some exciting customer upgrades. We’ll continue to post updates here and on our social media channel.”

Elite Pubs was approached for a comment.