Fourstones' Railway Inn approved for housing conversion

The Railway Inn, a former village pub in Fourstones near Hexham, Northumberland, has been approved for conversion into a house with a new bungalow on the former car park. The building has been closed since 2015 and has remained a dilapidated eyesore, prompting a lengthy planning battle. Northumberland County Council planners granted the application under delegated powers after previous proposals to redevelop the site were rejected.

Parish councillor Steve Heminsley said, "It is sad for the village. It has been a decade of the doors being firmly closed," while the Warden Parish Council noted that offers to purchase the pub at reasonable prices had been turned down, limiting the chance for community‑focused reuse. The decision reflects the council’s view that the pub is unlikely to reopen and that residential use is the viable solution.

The conversion marks the end of a decade‑long closure and aims to address the negative impact of the derelict building on local residents and visitors.