Ottery pub gets green light for expansion and renovation

An Ottery pub has received permission for a two-storey extension to expand its restaurant and bring toilet facilities up to date.

The Volunteer Inn in The Square was taken over by new owners last year, who have attempted to focus more on serving food.

They submitted an application to the district council to build into the courtyard behind the pub next to Down’s Garage, putting in a roof terrace as well as updating its interior.

And this week planning officials said the design ‘does not harm the visual amenity of the site and surrounding area’, or the character of the conservation area in which it sits.

A statement from the designers said the plans aim to ‘rejuvenate’ the Volunteer, including refurbishing the existing bar and extending the restaurant.

They said: “The current premises are several hundred years old and the toilet accommodation in particular is not up to current standards for both the general public and the disabled or elderly people within the community.”

The designers say although it is a two-storey extension it will not be apparent to the public as most of the work will be concealed by the surrounding buildings, and they have sought to be sympathetic to the surroundings, which sit in Ottery’s ‘Prime Shopping Area’.

Ottery Town Council supported the plans, and the district council’s conservation officer said they would not be harmful to surrounding properties.