B&B plans for The Horse Shoes Inn at Rennington approved by council
A popular pub has been given the green light to offer overnight stays for drinkers and diners.
Plans for the creation of B&B accommodation at The Horse Shoes Inn at Rennington have been approved by Northumberland County Council.
Publicans Charlotte and Gary Turner plan to convert the manager’s accommodation into four letting/B&B rooms.
A planning report on their behalf says it would see the introduction of much needed visitor accommodation to the area, just a few miles from tourist attractions such as Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Garden.
The proposal was backed by Rennington Parish Council which said it would contribute to the long-term viability of the pub. Similar sentiments were echoed in three letters of support from local residents.
There were no objections.
Planning officer Claire Simm, delegating approval, stated: “The efforts being made, through the proposal, to keep a functioning, viable public house in the village must be welcomed.”
She highlighted planning policies promoting Northumberland as a destination for tourists and visitors, while recognising the need to sustain and conserve the environment and local communities.
“All of these policies are supportive of the diversification into letting rooms being proposed,” she reported. “Rennington is geographically central to the key visitor attractions of the coast and Alnwick, while not being within the areas experiencing the most pressure.
“In spite of the absence of a good bus service, this is considered a reasonably sustainable location for additional visitor accommodation. The retention of local community services, and prevention of the loss, is also a key strand of the Local Plan's emphasis on community health and wellbeing.”
She added: "It is considered that the proposal is unlikely to have any greater impact upon neighbouring amenity or any neighbouring employment uses than the current use of the site, given the nature of the proposal and the existing use of the site.”
The couple bought the pub in late 2024, just the third owners in 40 years. They were long-standing employees of The Inn Collection Group, before following their dream to have a pub of their own.
The planning approval is subject to a financial contribution of £1,152 towards the council’s coastal mitigation service.