buying a closed pub

delbones

I didn't know which thread to put this in... but I'm hoping someone can help.
I am interested in buying a village pub. it is currently closed and has been for two years (not COVID related) 
my questions are...
possibility of turning into residential
changing use to maybe a licensed cafe.
Most importantly... how long could we live in before we did start trading again, and while it's closed would we have to pay business rates etc (valued at £10500)
I have tried without any success to find this info out... the local planners can't advise, I have to pay £125 for a pre-planning application and then apparently they will have the answers.....
grateful for any advice, thank you

amnblog

You want to buy the pub and convert it to a new use but don't want to invest £125 in finding out the possibilities.
Since, the local planners have the answers (not this forum) you had best think again.

user1977

delbones said:

I didn't know which thread to put this in... but I'm hoping someone can help.

Given you've posted it on the Mortgages board (rather than House Buying), are you going to need a mortgage?

getmore4less

First thing I would do is get onto the planning portal and see what has been happening locally with planning.
Has anyone tried for change of use before?
Anything local(same planners) succeeded in the last 5 years 

Around us there seems to be two options for the out of town/village pubs,  taken over by community or sit to rot till the planners allow conversion to residential which takes time.

In the town they have let a few get demolished for residential quite quickly.
One recently took 2 years to get the change of use and will be a conversion

delbones

user1977 said:

delbones said:

I didn't know which thread to put this in... but I'm hoping someone can help.

Given you've posted it on the Mortgages board (rather than House Buying), are you going to need a mortgage?

a very small one