PLANNING permission is being sought to turn Sandford’s Grade II-listed Lamb Inn into three homes.

Landlord Nick Silk wants to retire, the pub has “not been a viable business” since the Covid-19 pandemic and no buyers have been found for two and a half years, planning documents say.

Each of the new houses would have three bedrooms. The main pub building and the Lamb Barn next to it would become two-storey homes, while the Dowrich Room building at the back of the property would become a single-storey house.

The new homes would look the same as the pub and buildings do now from the outside, except for a new dark-grey corrugated-metal roof on the southern part of the Dowrich Room.

No car parking would be available.

Located on the Square in the village, the Lamb Inn was first put up for sale in July 2022 for £795,000.

The price was dropped to £775,000, then £675,000, but no offers were made.

Two buyers were reportedly interested but one thought the location “too isolated to attract increased business” and the other was put off by the drop in profit over previous years.

The landlord had made efforts to diversify the income of the pub “as much as possible”, hosting scores of events and offering B&B accommodation.

But there has still been a “major drop in turnover and an increase in business rates and employee costs” and 10 employees have been made redundant.

You can see the application on the Mid Devon District Council website under reference 25/00040/FULL.

Members of the public have until Thursday, February 6 to comment on the proposals.

The council will decide whether to grant or refuse planning permission at a later date.

To see more public notices and planning applications, visit: publicnoticeportal.uk.