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A head teacher is among those calling for a former pub to be saved after plans were lodged to turn it into a house.
The proposals for the Hare and Hounds in Northbourne, near Deal, have sparked outrage among residents, who fear the modern housing will ruin the charm of the area.
More than 120 objections have been submitted to Dover District Council (DDC), with just two letters in support.
Developers also want to build three terraced homes on neighbouring land previously used as the pub’s car park – bringing the number of new homes to a total of four.
But educator Natalie Christie, who has lived in the village for the past five years, called the loss of the pub “devastating” for the community.
“The Hare and Hounds wasn’t just a pub; it was a cornerstone of our community,” she said.
“Losing it to an ill-suited development feels like an attack on the village’s heritage.
“We know that people struggle nowadays to keep pubs alive.
“But there is a place, especially in such a tight-knit community as Northbourne, there is a place for a community space within a development project."
In documents submitted in the planning portal, Mark Venny said of the pub: “As a long-standing establishment within the village for over 300 years, it holds significant historical and cultural importance to our community which should not be underestimated.
“It is not merely a venue for drinking, but a vital space where villagers come together to socialise, celebrate, and support one another.”
A regular customer at the Hare and Hounds, Catherine Toulet, added that the pub has a “deeper meaning” to the community, due to its rural location.
The closure of the Hare and Hounds last year followed “years of financial struggles”.
Landlord Roy O’Neill announced it was the “end of an era” when he closed the business “until further notice”.
With the pub empty since, planning applicant Matthew Lawrence, of Deal, submitted a recent bid to DDC to revamp the place.
In official papers, he described how the building’s owner of the past 12 years no longer believes the business in The Street is viable.
He wrote it is due to the landscape for village pubs “having changed radically” and “the after-effects of Covid still being felt in the hospitality industry”.
Referencing the previous owners, the application states: “They have confirmed the business has run at a loss throughout their entire ownership, despite their commitment to keeping the pub open.”
Ms Christie, who is a head teacher in the Medway district, spoke to KentOnline about the importance the pub has on so many in the village.
She added: “We go to work, we come home, it's dark evenings, we close the door and we don't get to see each other.
“Whereas when the pub was open, we'd always nip up in the evening, even if it was to sit there for a coffee or a meal.
“It was really nice to get to see everybody.
“I recently hosted a curry night at Betteshanger Social Club and there was one lady that was crying, saying, 'I haven't seen anybody since the last time the pub was open’.”
The first reference to a public house at the property was in 1740 when it was known as The Horse and Hound – only earning its new name in the 1800s.
It was also a significant part of the village’s social fabric, serving as the birthplace of the Hare and Hounds Players, an amateur dramatic group that has raised money for charity through annual pantomimes for more than a decade.
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Ms Christie also raised concerns about the implications for the village’s identity.
She added: “This isn’t just about losing a pub; it’s about losing part of our history and culture.
"We're not saying, 'save our pub as it is now’ but it needs to remain a part of the community in some way.”