A developer wants to demolish a popular Gillingham pub and build flats.

The Beacon Court Tavern, in Copenhagen Road, closed in June 2016 after the tenant said it was too costly to run.

The pub, which was a popular live music venue, sold at auction last year for £370,000.

Now a developer has applied for permission to knock down the pub and build three one-bedroom and six two-bedroom flats with nine parking spaces. The curved front of the original building would be retained.

The planning application states: “We feel that the scheme has many positive attributes. It retains the best feature of the original building and compliments it with a residential building of good quality.

"The scheme is self-sufficient in terms of parking and should have minimal impact on street parking numbers.

“The resulting proposal will help liven up the street scene and the development will help to fulfil a need, both national and local, for new housing.”

The pub was built in the 1860s as part of a planned housing development along Trafalgar Street, Copenhagen Road and part of Gillingham Road.

Meanwhile, a new £3 million pub being built near Chatham Docks is almost complete.

As previously revealed in the Medway Messenger, The Mast & Rigging at Chatham Waters, next to Asda in Pier Road, will create more than 45 jobs. It has now been confirmed it will open in September. It is being built by Marston’s Inns and Taverns. It will serve pizza, steaks and pub classics, cocktails and cask ale, and will cater for up to 150 diners.

Marston’s owns more than 1,500 pubs but this will be the first in the Towns.

Marston’s spokesman Paul Beynon said: “We’re extremely excited about the Mast & Rigging, and hope it will build a great reputation locally – offering top-quality, value-for-money pub food and an unrivalled selection of drinks, including cask ales from across the country.”

The pub is recruiting. Visit www.marstons.co.uk/careers