A pub could soon be transformed into a dozens of student studio apartments. Plans were recently submitted to convert and extend the former Cricket Players Pub in Radford Road, Hyson Green into a five-storey building that would provide 50 studio flats and four retail units.
The existing building, which is on the council’s Local List of heritage assets will be retained, with the removal of the single storey elements and the preservation of the feature brickwork planned. Developers have said that there is seems no need to provide parking due to presence of the Hyson Green Market is a tram stop immediately outside.
The site is currently used by a car washing business and hosts Hyson Green Market stalls on its car park. Amir Javidani, 43, who has based his business on the pub's car park since 2014, said that he did not yet know when he would have to move.
"I knew that it was happening and that we would have to go. Until I hear about when I will have to go, we will stay and work here.
"My landlord told me that we would have to find somewhere else. We have accepted it now and we will have to find another place after being here for more than seven years."
Locals had mixed feelings on the new development which would see the the old pub revamped and converted. Rochelle Fitch, 33, who works in care and lives in Clifton, said: "It is always for students isn't it. I work full time and have been trying to get a private apartment and it's in an area with good transport links on a major road.
"It looks very shabby at the minute, I think it would be cleaned up. It's a good idea to redevelop it and make it look nicer but I would rather it be rather it be residential."
Karen Porter, 52, who lives in St Ann's, said: "People cannot get private rented accommodation, my daughter had move out of Nottingham to find somewhere. There's loads going up in the city definitely too much, young people cannot get flats anymore.
"I'd prefer the car wash to stay and or it to be like it is. It's not a suitable thing and will change the area a lot.
"I can see in a couple of years time they will have a shortage of workers because they will only be students. Why couldn't it have been affordable housing."
Another resident, who wished to stay anonymous, said that the plan was a good idea. "I think it's a decent use of the building. It doesn't even look like a pub anymore. It would depend on what the plans look like really, I suppose either way it would tidy it up." He said.
The prospective developers of the site stated that the plans would "preserve the appearance and quality of the existing site". In a planning document, Swish Architecture on behalf of applicant A&Q Properties Nottingham Ltd said: "The design approach includes the careful consideration of the prominent nature of the plot and creates a scheme that is well suited to its context and carefully addresses the requirements of the site. The layout of the apartments have been designed to maximise desirable outlook and eliminate overlooking with the use of carefully positioned internal spaces
"The scheme will help preserve the appearance and quality of the existing site. The proposed scheme will meet the needs of the local area in supplying a diverse mix of new housing to an established mixed retail and residential location."
Nottingham City Council were contacted regarding whether the plan would affect Hyson Green Market but could not comment on a ongoing application. The application, which was submitted by A&Q Properties Nottingham Ltd, is currently pending consideration by Nottingham City Council.
