PART of the historic Kings Head Hotel in Harrow-on-the-Hill is set to be demolished after councillors agreed the move on Tuesday.

An application for planning permission to demolish a single-storey workshop at the rear of the hotel in High Street was originally considered by the council's development and control committee on April 9.

Planning inspectors recommended that approval be granted, but because the hotel is a listed building, parts of which date back to the 18th century, the committee decided to defer a decision until they had visited the site.

After failing to fix a date for this, committee members were poised to do so on Tuesday but, after hearing that the workshop was in danger of collapsing, they decided to grant permission without a visit.

Developers Fairbriar Macleod are still poised to do battle with Harrow Council over its rejection of an earlier controversial planning application.

In February, its request for permission to convert the hotel into 29 flats was refused when Liberal Democrat councillor Stephen Thornton voted with the five Conservative members to defeat the Labour group, which voted in favour of the scheme.

Reasons given for the refusal was that the plan would be an overdevelopment of the site and would not preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the neighbourhood.

Fairbriar Macleod has appealed to the Government and a decision is expected in the next few months.

May 1, 2003 11:00