A government inspector has now ruled that the refusal to grant planning permission to turn a Reed pub into a house should be upheld, as the decision to dismiss the owner’s appeal was released on Monday.

The decision comes after years of campaigning to save the Grade II-listed Cabinet pub by villagers.

Planning inspector David Murray concluded that the changes to the village icon would be inappropriate due to the conflict of the planning with local policies.

The ruling came after a three-day public inquiry held in Letchworth last month, which came about after North Herts District Council refused the planning application by current owner, developer Richard Newman, to turn the pub into a house. He appealed and that appeal has now been dismissed.

Mr Newman attended the inquiry as did members of the Save the Cabinet Action Group.

The report said that the development of the property should guard against the unnecessary loss of valued facilities and services, and that given the scattered community facilities in Reed as well as the listed status of the property, redevelopment would reduce the community’s ability to meet its day to day needs.

The pub ceased trading in 2011 and was put up for sale, after which it stood vacant until it was bought by Mr Newman in 2015.

The retrospective planning application for change of use that followed was rejected in 2017, and Mr Newman remained living in the property as his family home.

When asked for a statement on the decision, Mr Newman said that he was “awaiting information” and made no further comment.

Villagers have battled to save the pub and the community is said to be “delighted and relieved” with the result as redevelopment plans to turn the Cabinet into a home were firmly rejected once again.

Chair of the group, Mike Howes, told of how the win was a massive step on the road to restoring the Cabinet “to its proper place at the heart of the community.”

Mr Howes also gave a nod to the relentless work and support of the community, saying that the prospect of the pub being restored “just came a lot closer.”

The group will continue to fundraise for the campaign, holding a Pop-up Pub night at Reed Village Hall on New Year’s Eve.

For more information,go to www.savethecabinet.uk.