Earl of Leicester pub site in Norwich will become nine homes

The site of the 19th century Earl of Leicester pub at the junction with Dereham Road and Bowthorpe Road has been an eyesore since it was demolished in 2005.

Plans to build nine new homes on the plot have now been given the go-ahead by Norwich City Council 18 months since being lodged.

The plans have been in the works for nearly two years (Image: Chaplin Farrant via Norwich City Council)

Nine homes will be built at the site, which will be made up of a block of three flats and six terrace houses, in keeping with the current style of houses in the nearby roads.

Each home will have access to private cycle storage and garden, with an on-site shared car park accessed via Bowthorpe Road.

Four of the houses will be three-bed, with all of the other plots (including the three flats) made up of two bedrooms. 

Nine homes will make up the plot, made up of six houses and three flats (Image: Chaplin Farrant via Norwich City Council)

There will also be a large gated outside space in addition to the gardens.

When the plans first emerged in November 2022, locals raised concerns about the increased parking along an already busy road.

Green Party councillor for Nelson ward at the time, Denise Carlo, said that she didn't think the additional homes would increase parking at all, with on-site spaces included in the plans from the start to counteract the impact on the busy streets.

She said: "It has always been earmarked for homes and people don't have access to the site at the moment so it's good to see something being done."

While the city council has approved the plans, the developers will have to meet 24 constraints as part of the permissions, including the car park being fully completed before anyone moves into the properties, fast broadband speeds needing to be tested and the work needing to begin within three years of the decision.

The site has been derelict for nearly 20 years (Image: Google)

The Earl of Leicester pub

The Earl of Leicester pub was flattened in 2005 to make way for housing, but not a single brick has been laid at the site in the last 19 years.

The former pub dated back to 1843 and survived Luftwaffe bombing raids of the Second World War.

The Earl of Leicester pub dated back to 1843 (Image: Newsquest)

An undated photo of the Earl of Leicester pub in Norwich (Image: Newsquest)

It was one of five pubs owned by the Dotheredge Brewery, in Coslany Street.

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In 2005, Norwich City Council's planning committee granted permission for Citygate developers to build 16 flats on the site.

The bulldozers quickly moved in to knock down the pub, after a last-ditch effort to get English Heritage to list the building failed.

However, the plans fell through after the demolition, and the site has remained empty since.