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A takeaway boss has lodged a planning appeal after proposals to turn a disused historic pub into a Domino's Pizza joint were rejected.
The George and Dragon has been serving customers as a former Victorian coaching inn on the corner of London Road and Swanscombe High Street since 1891.
But the vintage boozer has not welcomed any weary travellers for a pint since last orders were called in June 2019.
An initial planning application was submitted by Zaan Ltd for a change of use from a public house to a pizza delivery and takeaway business in December the same year.
However, it was turned down in June by the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, who cited the "loss of a community facility for non-community purposes" as the main reason for its refusal.
The garden city planners deemed it an inappropriate location and raised issues over inadequate customer parking and potential noise and disturbance to residents.
Since then an appeal has been lodged by the store's franchisee, in the hope that plans will be approved by the Planning Inspectorate.
They claim the marketing exercise conducted showed there was "no interest in the reuse of the site for a public house occupier," and despite lockdown restrictions, their is unlikely to be such interest in the future.
One offer was made to turn the site into a restaurant but it was rejected due to it being considerably below the asking price.
The pizza franchisee pointed out there are three alternative pubs in Swanscombe, although The Wheatsheaf is temporarily closed – but it is believed the freehold has been sold to a buyer in recent months.
A statement in support of an appeal against the decision read: "It is expected that takeaways will be important community services for some time to come as restaurants reopen as takeaways and social distancing continues to play a role in society meaning that former businesses are unable
to operate as they previously were reducing capacity for covers and customers to dine in."
It added the change of use would better reflect the changing nature of the High Street wit minimum disruption and provide up to 25 full and part time jobs.
The store's franchisee, who currently operates a Domino's Pizza in Northfleet, also criticised the assessment of the need for a takeaway as a "commercial matter" and said this was not a relevant planning consideration.
A number of objections were lodged against the application when it was first submitted, including by Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council.
Concerns were raised about an increase in traffic due to delivery drivers, potential problems with parking and the loss of another of the town's pubs.
One resident comment read: "We have lost all but three of our public houses.
"It is quite frankly an insult to those of us who have lived and worked in the area for all our lives.
"Another takeaway is not wanted and neither is it needed. The high street has enough takeaways and the surrounding areas have pizza establishments who deliver."
Historian Christoph Bull, who regularly runs a tour from outside the the George and Dragon, previously said he hoped the pub would be kept as a community asset.
Last month it was reported how the former coaching inn had been put back on the market.
Only six years ago it was named among the 150 best local real ale pubs in the country, winning the title of Gravesend and Darent Valley CAMRA pub of the year two years in a row.
It coincided with the opening of the Caveman Brewery in 2013 before it eventually moved the operation out of the pub's basement and set up as the Iron Pier Brewery in Northfleet.
