Plans to breathe new life into a historic pub by converting it into housing are back on course - just months after it was ravaged by a fire.

The former Hen and Chicks, in Luton High Street, has been empty for six years and has fallen into disrepair.

Now a developer has resubmitted a proposal to turn the once popular local boozer into 10 flats in a bid to rejuvenate the rundown area.

Seven of these would be housed in the pub and a neighbouring garage would be demolished to make way for a further three.

The scheme includes a communal garden and 10 cycle spaces, but no provision for car parking.

The pub, built in the early 1700s, has been subject to a string of planning applications over the years, including a similar bid for apartments which was withdrawn about a year ago.

The future of the watering hole, which has turned into an eyesore, has remained a mystery with speculation over its future.

In planning terms, it’s classed as a non-designated heritage asset, meaning the building is of local interest and therefore should be protected..

When last orders were called in 2019, the vacant public house, the brewery launched a bid to find a manager, but nobody came forward and it was put on the market.

It was then set to become a Turkish restaurant and then a halal butchers – but neither happened.

The businessman behind the latest scheme is Ihan Nurhaki who has in the past submitted similar plans for the property.

It’s believed the hostelry has been targeted by vandals and rough sleepers with reports of the police being called on several occasions.

In October a fire ripped through the boozer and photos obtained by KentOnline revealed the now-destroyed interior of the building.

The pub, which was built in 1702, was originally a farmhouse.

It was converted into an ale house in 1746 and was frequented by brickmakers and agricultural workers in the surrounding areas.

As Chatham grew in size, it was a terminus for the bus horse and, later on, the tram.

There was at one point a forge on the side of the building in the heart of the village in Luton Road which burnt down many years ago.

The pub, formally called the Hen and Chickens, became a centre for Luton’s community activities and was popular among locals.

Over the decades most of the once numerous hostelries in Luton, which were used by dockyard workers and servicemen, have closed, with many converted into homes.

Meanwhile, a proposal to refurbish a dilapidated row of shops next door and replace it with a “bulky” block of flats was refused in December.

To see more planning applications and other public notices for your area, click here.

An application was submitted by Directive Planning in February for the site currently housing store Medway Food Centre, My Sandwich Obsession café and the Golden Dishes restaurant.

The agents called the premises “in a state of disrepair, exhibiting broken parts and general deterioration”.

Under the proposal, the run-down buildings would have been demolished to pave the way for a four-storey block of flats consisting of 13 one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom apartments.

It would have also featured three commercial units, three offices and cycle storage.