Bell Inn appeal hearing underway
15/01/2026
The owner wants to turn the pub into a house but locals disagree
A planning appeal hearing has begun today into the decision not to allow the owner of the Bell Inn in Great Bourton permission to convert the pub into a house.
Local campaign group Save The Bell Inn wanted the pub to remain open as a community owned asset and a free house, so it wasn’t tied to brewery set rents and prices.
Cherwell District planning councillors backed their view that the building should remain as a public house and rejected an application from James Day to convert it into a dwelling.
Legal papers lodged with the Planning Inspector on behalf of Mr Day point to the position that he “robustly demonstrated that re-opening the public house and sustaining viable trading in the long term is not financially viable”.
Mr Day’s legal team asserted that, despite the Save The Bell Inn group’s stated aims, there was no evidence they were in a position to purchase and operate the site, adding that during a 15 month period of marketing they made no approach to purchase the property.
Members of the Save The Bell Inn group are present at today’s hearing, which is being held at The John Paul ll Centre in Bicester.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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