Local residents near a posh pub that burned down earlier this year have raged that the plans to refurbish it are “inspired by a radiator”.
Osborne View, a smart boozer on Hill Head beach in Fareham, Hampshire, was ravaged by a fire earlier this year.
Now, a massive £6.5 million plan to save the site has been unveiled, which sees the traditional facade, which dated back more than 100 years, replaced by a moden glass exterior.
Enraged residents have claimed the proposal makes the pub look like a magistrates’ court, a corporate HQ, a prison, a bunker and a radiator – but not a pub.
Osborne View is a Victorian era pub, and in the 1960s one of its regulars was Sir Alf Ramsey – the mastermind of England’s 1966 World Cup glory.
In February, the pub was engulfed in a fire caused by an electrical fault in a tumble dryer.
In the aftermath, residents were worried the famous old watering hole would be snapped up by developers and turned into flats.
But last month Hall & Woodhouse – the company that ran the site prior to the fire – lodged plans for a pub and restaurant.
One critical resident said of the redesign: “Whilst we were originally very pleased that the Osborne View was going to be rebuilt, and imagined it would be a bit more modern than the original, we did not envisage this futuristic monstrosity. This is Hillhead, not the South of France or Spain – it is an eyesore on the lovely coastal location.”
Another said the design has “little architectural merit” and is “gross to the point of being ugly”. A third said witheringly that the architect must have been “inspired by a radiator”.
A spokesman for Hall & Woodhouse said: “The proposals involve a replacement, standalone pub and restaurant to be operated by Hall and Woodhouse.
“The replacement building will comprise the same floor space as the previous building. However, it will incorporate a refreshed design to better reflect the operational requirements of a modern-day public house and restaurant.
“The redevelopment of the site rationalising staircases, removing half levels and improving the efficiency of food and drink delivery through the creation of a central core.
“It also enabled Hall and Woodhouse to create a new building that could maximise sea views in a contemporary and modern style that matches the spirit of other recent developments along the seafront.”
Fareham Borough Council is expected to make a decision in January.
