THE owners of a closed rural pub who lost an appeal to convert it into a home have failed to win retrospective planning permisiion for a six-foot high fence they put up.

Tony and Carol Moule bought the 183-year-old Greyhound Inn in Pope’s Hill, Slad, in 2017 after it had been closed for nearly a year following a knifepoint robbery and arson attack.

They began renovating the property and applied for planning permission to convert it into a home, saying it was in a bad state of repair and no longer economically viable to run as a pub.

But Forest planners rejected the plan, saying the couple hadn’t proved it couldn’t still operate as a pub and its loss would hit residents in the rural community near Littledean, a decision which was backed by the planning inspector on appeal.

The council later approved enforcement action ordering the removal of the fencing on the norther boundary of the inn, which is currently being appealed by the owners.

Objecting to the new retrospecive bid for planning permission, a woman neighbour said the fence and gates were “unattractive”, “anti-social” and reduced visibility exiting from the car park onto the A4151 road.

And the planning department rejected the plan, saying it created “a visually unattractive, obtrusive, forbidding sense of place which is out of character with this otherwise rural well vegetated streetscape, causing detrimental harm to the character of the area.”

The Greyhound Inn dates back to 1836, and was Forest of Dean CAMRA Pub of the Year in 1999 and 2000.

It became known for its lifesize dinosaur sculpture ‘Horace’ in the pub garden, which was given away by the Moules last year to a man in Minsterworth who wanted a ‘companion’ for a dinosaur he already owned.

Refusing the Moules’ appeal last year over converting the inn into a home, planning inspector Mazer Aqbal said there were “no other alternative suitable and convenient” pubs within “easy and walking distance” of Pope’s Hill.

“I conclude that the proposed development would result in the unjustified loss of a community facility,” he said. 

The “tall close boarded gates and fencing” also damaged the appearance of the site and reduced road visibiity for vehicles leaving it, he ruled.

The Moules had argued that the fabric of the building was so badly damaged by fire and smoke, it was beyond economic repair to renovate and run as a pub, while an unpaid £9,000 power bill indicated that the previous owners were not making any money.

The pub was closed following an alleged robbery and fire attack in September 2016, when four raiders reportedly forced themselves inside at closing time, kicking and punching a member of staff and threatening him with a knife.

They allegedly made off with watches and money from a safe before the shocked staff member smelt burning and raised the alarm.

Police quickly arrested four teenagers aged 14 to 19 on suspicion of attempted murder, but no one was ever charged.