Planning application submitted to district council for former pub venue The Mayze on Castlegate

A planning application has been submitted for one of Newark’s former popular pubs that offered drinking and dancing well into the night.

The application is to reuse The Mayze on Castlegate as a bar/restaurant downstairs with conversion to offices above.

Verve Architecture were commissioned in April 2023 by Mr and Mrs Fairhurst of Arthur Hudson Site Engineers to develop a proposal to convert the first-floor accommodation of 7 Castlegate for office space for their site engineering business, along with refurbishing the vacant groundfloor bar/restaurant with a view to bringing it back in to use.

Verve Architecture say that the proposal brought forward recognises the importance of the application site as a Grade II listed building within the Newark Conservation Area.

“Respecting the heritage and fabric of the building is a key concern of the applicant,” Verve in its design and access statement that accompanies the planning application.

The Mayze has been vacant for a number of years. The building is said to be notable for its modest two-storey height in comparison to its three-storey neighbours.

The statement says the interior of the groundfloor is already fitted out for use as a public house, and is of no architectural interest. The proposals seek to create a partition to the front of house area to allow for access to relocated toilets, and also a small office in connection with the running of the restaurant area, at first floor level.

This will require some removal / demolition of an existing masonry wall. However this already appears to have been knocked-through to accommodate the current layout.

The existing disabled WC is to be retained largely in its current position, albeit amended slightly to accommodate a kitchen/prep area.

It is proposed to add bifold/sliding doors and to upgrade the rear courtyard for alfresco dining.

The proposals to the first-floor, as far as practicable, working with the existing/historic fabric of the building is for the majority of the internal walls to be demolished as they are non-original, and many have fallen into significant disrepair and in some cases become structurally unstable.

Office space for the firm will then be created.

Newark and Sherwood District Council will decide on the application.