Work is steaming ahead on a project to replace a pub that was in place for hundreds of years with new homes.

The Royal Hunt pub in North Ascot is thought to have been in place since the 1700s following the foundation of Ascot Racecourse by Queen Anne in 1711.

But by the Spring of last year it lay completely demolished so that it could make way for eight apartments.

Progress is being made on the project, photos from neighbours show that the foundations of the building have been established.

READ MORE: Ascot pub completely demolished to make way for new homes

Once complete, it will contain eight one-bed flats within a three storey-building, with each coming with a double bedroom, kitchen and living facilities.

Six of the flats will come with showers, with the two on the second floor benefiting from bathrooms.

You can see what the pub looked like when it was opened compared to now using the graphic below:

Neighbours had hoped to save the pub from demolition by making it an asset of community value, which gives members of the community the right to buy a building to preserve its social function.

Back in 2020, Bruce Singleton, founder of The Royal Hunt Pub Community Group argued it could survive as a pub restaurant as it would be ‘an oasis in a desert’ between two other establishments in the area, the Royal Forresters and The Hatchet in Cranbourne.

Mr Singleton said: “It would mean a lot of local people could walk to a local establishment, they could have a meal, have their wine, they can drink their beer, or they can just go along for a drink.

“I strongly believe it can survive.”

READ MORE: History of the Royal Hunt pub in North Ascot

But the campaign sadly failed as the group was unable to get the pub listed as an asset of community value in July 2018.

The project to demolish the Royal Hunt was approved in July 2021 after two previous applications in 2018 were unsuccessful.

The developer Patrick Ruddy Homes had submitted an application to replace the pub with nine apartments to Bracknell Forest Council, the planning authority for North Ascot.

But both of these plans were rejected due to the risk the development posed to a protected oak tree located to the rear of the site.

The developer appealed to the government’s planning inspectorate which upheld the council’s decision in 2019.

The project was therefore revised to ensure the oak tree is retained and was subsequently approved by Bracknell Forest Council’s planning committee in 2021.

After that, Patrick Ruddy Homes submitted details of the demolition project and management of the site to the council.

These plans were approved by the council’s planning department in December 2022.

You can view applications by typing the references below into the council’s planning portal:

  • July 2021 approval – 20/00001/FUL
  • December 2022 demolition approval – 21/00170/COND
  • Updated site plan – 23/00140/COND