New chapter for closed pub as repair works begin

The mural of the Prince of Denmark on Sprowston Road. Picture: Archant (Image: Archant)

The Prince of Denmark on Sprowston Road, in Norwich, has been closed since August 2018.

In April last year, Grace Charles Properties Ltd lodged plans to develop the property into seven homes but later withdrew the proposals before the outcome of the application.

Shortly after, the owner of the investment company told this newspaper he planned to take the premises "down the coffee route" but six months on the pub remains closed and no new planning applications have been submitted.

However, Dan Trivedi, the founder of Grace Charles Properties Ltd, has said he still hopes to develop and reopen part of the building into "a pub or something similar".

The Prince of Denmark pub. Picture: Antony Kelly (Image: Archant)

Mr Trivedi said at the moment his first priority was the building itself.

"The property has been left to fall into a bit of disrepair, so currently there's work to improve the infrastructure of the building and it's being reroofed," he said.

"We will aim to keep some of the ground floor offering similar to what it was and we believe we have a good arrangement with the council to run part of the ground floor as something similar to a pub or café, a more family orientated environment is where the market is going."

Mr Trivedi said since submitting plans for the pub to turned into homes his vision for the premises had altered.

"The previous goal was for it to be completely residential but we are going to try and make it work as part commercial to a similar use as the pub and that's the plan," he said.

He added the pub's famous 1930s mural would remain intact.

"We respect that the mural on the side of the building is of significant history and we won't be looking to alter that," he said.

Do you have a Norwich story we should be writing about? Email sabrina.johnson@archant.co.uk