A MUCH-LOVED pub in Ascot has been saved from demolition - by a tree.

Developers wanted to knock down the Royal Hunt Pub on New Road, which is claimed to have been a popular drinking establishment for royal huntsmen when Ascot Racecourse was founded by Queen Anne in 1711.

Nine one-bedroom flats were planned to replace the pub, which has been closed since 2015, but proposals were twice refused by Bracknell Forest development chiefs last year.

Bosses at Patrick Ruddy Homes appealed Bracknell Forest Council’s (BFC) decision and in summer 2019 planning inspectors considered the proposals.

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But councillors were told earlier this month inspectors had chucked out the appeal after deciding the development would mean cutting down an ‘important’ and ‘high quality’ protected tree.

A report read: “T7 [a Common Oak tree] has been described by the council as a landmark specimen.

“[It] is extremely prominent and makes an important contribution to the character and appearance of the area.

“It is clearly a specimen worthy of protection that can realistically be expected to make a long-term contribution to the area.

“The proposal would be likely to cause harm to the character and appearance of the area, with particular regard to the longterm effect on protected tree T7.”

Bracknell News:

The rejection comes after a lengthy battle between developers and residents, as the Royal Hunt Pub Community Group (RHPCG) has been campaigning for the site to be kept as it is for several years.

Commenting in an online post last week, a group spokesperson said: “The Royal Hunt Pub Community Group is delighted and they will be continuing their fight to save this valuable community asset.”

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Developers also tried to squeeze compensation money from the council’s planning department because they believed decision-makers at BFC had behaved ‘unreasonably’ when refusing the plans.

Patrick Ruddy Homes bosses claim planning permission should have been granted, but chiefs made ‘factually incorrect assumptions’ and used ‘emotive language’ when doing so.

But the planning inspector assigned to this case said this was not ‘justified’ and threw out this appeal too.