Samuel Smith's to open micro-brewery in former railway cottages in Yorkshire village

The company is proposing to convert two old railway cottages next to the Spar supermarket, in Guisborough Road, Nunthorpe, near Middlesbrough, into a “small scale community facility” which would open between 10am and 11pm seven days a week.

Its application was approved by a planning officer at Redcar and Cleveland Council on a delegated officer basis without needing to be decided by a planning committee. There had been no “call in” from local councillors, while the threshold in respect of representations from members of the public, which would have triggered involvement from the committee, was not reached.

In fact only two comments were received by the council, one from a resident in Rookwood Road, Nunthorpe, objecting, who said there were insufficient parking facilities and access for deliveries, and this would lead to traffic hold-ups. They also complained of potential excessive noise late in the evening.

Meanwhile, a resident at the Roseberry Mews retirement complex on the other side of Guisborough Road, wrote to council planners to state they were in favour provided it would be a “quiet micro pub”. They also pointed out there were jackdaws nesting in the roof of the cottages and bluebells growing in the grounds.

The local authority in setting out the conditions attached to the development said it should begin within three years of the granted permission. It said because of plans to create accommodation at first floor level, a scheme should be submitted outlining proposed sound insulation measures, which would also need to be approved.

A council report, which said the pub proposal was acceptable, included comments from Network Rail which said it should not impact on the safe operation of an adjacent railway level crossing.

Network Rail said: “No part of the development including any proposed signage or lighting should obstruct or obscure sight of the level crossing warning signals and signage for approaching motorists. Where lighting is to be erected adjacent to the operational railway, the potential for train drivers to be dazzled must be eliminated.

“In addition, the location and colour of lights must not give rise to the potential for confusion with the signalling arrangements on the railway. Construction traffic and subsequent delivery vehicles associated with the scheme should not be parked on the crossing approaches at any time in order to ensure that crossing users can enter and leave the crossing area safely and unobstructed at all times.”

The report concluded the application raised no issues in terms of highway safety, while a car park associated with the site would remain for public use on an unrestricted basis. The development was in a sustainable location and the “limited” external changes to the buildings would not have an adverse effect on the local street scene.

Referring to the potential impact on nearby residents, the report said: “The site is located in an area where there are a range of services and facilities including some late night uses in the form of hot food takeaways. There are no residential properties directly adjoining the site with the closest properties separated by Guisborough Road, the main road through Nunthorpe.

“Given the range of services in the area and the relationship between the site and residential properties the proposed use would not prove detrimental to neighbour amenity. “

A previous planning statement by consultants Veritas Planning said: “The proposal will inevitably lead to an increase in activity, although the small-scale nature of the scheme is such that this is limited to the comings and goings of customers and deliveries. There is no live or recorded music or television proposed within the micro pub, indeed mobile phone use is also discouraged.”

It said the intervening road, nearby railway line and the nature of the proposal meant there would be “no negative effects” on the levels of amenity currently enjoyed by residents. It also said there would be no significant effects that were likely to occur on the safe and efficient operation of roads in the vicinity.

Samuel Smith already operates the Brunton Arms in adjoining Marton and the Master Cooper, just down the road in Acklam, along with the Linthorpe Hotel in Linthorpe. It was granted planning permission in 2019 to convert the railway cottages, although that permission had lapsed.