Plans to “breathe new life” into a former rundown pub have been rejected, despite calls for the “eyesore” to be transformed.

Applicant Nicholas Brown had submitted a proposal to turn the dilapidated White Lion in Cheriton High Street, Folkestone, into a ground-floor cafe with 12 supported living suites above.

The venue, which dates back to the 1850s, has been derelict since 2006 when it closed following a shocking incident in which an 18-year-old was shot.

Although the victim survived, the fallout from the incident led to The Shepherd Neame pub shutting its doors for good.

Since then, the site has fallen into serious disrepair, becoming what Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) described in 2023 as a “blight on the local area”.

Several redevelopment plans have been put forward over the years, but none have come to fruition.

And now, the latest proposal, which would have seen the site retained and refurbished, has been refused by officers at FHDC after being branded “unacceptable”.

Concerns stemmed from a proposed three-storey side extension needed to provide access to the accommodation causing “significant harm to the visual amenity” of the area.

The report added: “The scale, proportions and finer detailing of the extension results in a visually cramped form of development that poorly relates to the existing, amounting to a prominent and incongruous addition to the built form.

“The rear of the site would be hard surfaced, giving rise to a stark, utilitarian appearance, harmful to the area’s character and street scene.

“The small room sizes, poor internal communal space and lack of defensible and private external amenity space would result in substandard living accommodations harmful to future occupants.”

The now-refused proposal would have seen a cafe created on the ground floor of the building, with a single-storey rear extension planned to accommodate a kitchen.

Both the first and second floors – increased in size by the proposed three-storey extension – were to have six suites, each containing a bedroom, living area, kitchenette and private shower room.

The rear yard was to be repurposed to provide parking for 18 cars and space for eight bicycles, as well as a small area for electricity generation and storage to power the suites.

Two comments were lodged on FHDC’s planning portal over the application.

The New Folkestone Society supported the move because it proposed keeping the building, which they felt should be considered a non-designated heritage asset.

However, one resident opposed the scheme, fearing for the already limited parking, stating permit spots are often taken at pick-up times for the nearby All Souls Church of England Primary School.

The comment added: “There is already a significant issue of limited parking on this street with numerous non-permitted vehicles abusing these spaces to the detriment of residents on this road who pay to park in front of their own properties.”

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The council has been pushing for renovations at the pub for a number of years.

In October 2023, FHDC served a Section 215 notice on the building’s owners, Kent County Homes Limited, demanding immediate improvements.

This included removing graffiti, clearing waste from the rear yard, repairing the roof and replacing missing brickwork, doors and guttering.

The notice gave the owners until November 2024 to comply or risk facing criminal charges.

However, an FHDC officer added that work is yet to be completed at the site.

In a statement they said: “The works required by the S215 notice have been progressing but are not yet complete. Officers continue to monitor the site in this regard.

“The recent planning application proposed extensions to, and works in the garden of, the former public house – together with the use of the building as a café and for supported living.

“Whilst we are keen to see this important building brought back into use, and to see the increased provision of supported living accommodation across the district.

“The recent proposals were not considered acceptable as detailed in the officer report and set out in the decision notice.”

The applicant has been contacted for comment.