EAST Hampshire planners have given the go ahead for alterations to The Gentleman Jim pub on the Wootey estate, to provide 10 residential units and a retail shop.

The application, by Hollybourne Developments Ltd, will see the conversion and extension of the vacant public house to provide six one-bed and four two-bed flats and a shop with a floor area of 114 square metres, with parking to the side and rear of the building, to include three parking spaces for the shop.

The building, which forms part of the Raven Square precinct, will be of brick facing with a tile Mansard roof.

It stands on the northern edge of the Wootey estate and within the Settlement Policy Boundary, in an area primarily characterised by mid-20th Century, low-density residential development, and a row of shops, close to Wootey infant and junior schools.

The application attracted objections on grounds of overdevelopment, increased traffic, noise pollution and disturbance.

The Alton Society, in particular, was concerned about the proposed size of the flats which, at 39 square metres internally would, it was pointed out, be far less than the recommended minimum of 46 square metres for a dwelling of this type as set out in the Housing Standards Review of 2013.

It was a view reflected by Alton Town Council, which had registered councillors’ objections on grounds of “unacceptable over-development of the site creating a cramped and confined form of development to the detriment of the character and appearance of the locality”.

In addition, they expressed concern that the proposal “incorporated inadequate provision for the parking and manoeuvring of vehicles clear of the highway” which, they felt, would result in vehicles “interfering with the free flow of traffic on the adjoining highway to the detriment of highway safety and cause inconvenience to other highway users”.

And that “inadequate noise attenuation measures” had been incorporated into the proposals to mitigate the impact of noise from the kitchen extraction plant on the proposed flats.

An application for change of use and extension of the building to provide 11 residential units and a shop had been granted permission in March 2014.