Plans to restore a pub’s historic green tiles and revamp the inside are due to go before councillors next week.
The pub’s owner Charlie Southall has applied for planning permission to replace the tiled front of the locally listed Montreal Arms, in Albion Hill, Brighton.
His planning application includes raising the height of the roof and partly demolishing and rebuilding ground-floor and first-floor extensions.
A report to Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee recommended that councillors grant planning permission for the proposals next week.
Mr Southall, 45, submitted the application through his company Dragonfly Architectural Services Limited.
He included a design statement that said that the historic tiles, damaged in 2022, would be scanned by specialists at Craven Dunnill and replaced with hand-glazed replicas in the Victorian style with “crazying” glaze.
If his planning application is approved, the committee is expected to require Mr Southall to provide samples of the new tiles to compare them with the historic tiles, including those with lettering.
Many of the original tiles were lost in March 2022 after Mr Southall hired friends to remove them. At the time he had been in a dispute with neighbours about his plans to turn the building into housing.
But the council’s planning policies require an owner to market a pub for two years before any change of use for the building such as turning it into housing.
Since then, the pub has been registered as an asset of community value. Mr Southall also faced stop action and an enforcement notice to restore the green tiles.
He told the council that many of the tiles were already seriously damaged before they were removed to deal with structural issues with the building.
Mr Southall said: “This application represents a meticulously considered scheme that respects the property’s historical roots while introducing necessary enhancements for its contemporary relevance.
“Through careful adjustments to the footprint, roofline and façade, alongside thoughtful functional improvements, this application sets a precedent for sensitive yet transformative architectural development.
“Approval of this plan will not only enhance the property itself but will also contribute positively to the architectural fabric of the surrounding area.”
Seven objections to the proposals have been submitted to the council, raising concerns about whether the pub was properly marketed, the effects on the locally listed building and the increased roof height.
An anonymous objector, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “Why does the roof need to be raised?
This vandal tries to get around everything one way or another. Weasely actions display the calibre of the applicant. Enforcement action should continue and destructive disregard should not be rewarded.