A BID has been made for last orders to be called at a pub suffering from declining trade.

Plans have been unveiled for The Royal, in Main Road, Dovercourt, to be demolished and 14 flats built in its place.

A planning statement, lodged to Tendring Council’s planning portal, said the pub has experienced an extended period of declining trade and the applicant made the decision to conclude trading earlier this year.

It said: “The property is vacant and has been on the open market for seven months and remains for sale.

“It is for this reason that the applicant has explored the redevelopment options available to it.”

If agreed, the development would include two and three-storey flats, and new vehicular access would be created from Main Road with 22 parking spaces.

According to the statement, the pub’s turnover has decreased from £205,017 to £187,462 between 2015 and 2019.

The planning statement added: “The proposals repurpose the site of an already failed business, which currently sits economically inactive, and places the site in a residential use.

“In generating 14 new households the applicant is in effect creating (at least) 14 new consumers which will contribute to existing services in the district.

“The proposed dwellings will contribute to local housing stock and provide much-needed workflow to small, local builders and contractors, which will have a knock-on effect on the local economy.”

The move comes just weeks after the landlords of the Hanover Inn, in Harwich, submitted plans to Tendring Council to turn their award-winning pub into flats.

Rob and Teresa Ranson, who have owned the pub since 2016, said it was a decision they had to make due to financial difficulties.

These plans sparked concern among members of Tendring Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) which voted the Hanover Inn as Pub of the Year in 2019.

Tendring Camra members are now calling for residents to object against the planning application and keep the 300-year old building as a pub.

The landlord of The Anchor Inn, in Mistley, has also drawn up plans to the council to turn the village’s only pub into homes.