St Neots ‘drive-by shooting’ pub could be turned into office and shop

A PUB that had its licence suspended following a drive-by shooting and a kidnapping on its doorstep could be turned into offices and a new DIY shop.

The King’s Head Hotel, formerly the Unique Bar and Nightclub, in South Street, St Neots, has been closed since January following a licensing hearing.

But it could soon be brought back into use – this time as a DIY shop, offices and flats.

West End Wallpapers, which already has a number of stores in Northamptonshire, is looking to turn the King’s Head into its first Cambridgeshire outlet.

A planning application has been submitted to Huntingdonshire District Council. If approved it could see the creation of up to 10 new jobs.

A spokesman for the architects acting on behalf of West End Wallpapers told The Hunts Post: “The owner wants to get going as soon as possible.

“He has had his eye on a premise in St Neots because it is the largest market town in Cambridgeshire and he believes it is due something and has great opportunities for growth.”

He added that the shop could be open next Easter.

Punch Taverns put the King’s Head up for sale after HDC’s licensing panel suspended its licence for three months and ruled that it could no longer operate as a nightclub.

At the hearing, Punch Taverns said it was keen to refurbish the pub and re-open it as a traditional family pub serving home-cooked food.

But the pub chain put the venue on the market in March.

The future of the bar was called into question when a series of violent incidents took place just before Christmas, which resulted in police shutting the venue.

Huntingdonshire District Council planners are expected to make a decision on the planning application in early September.

n Elsewhere in St Neots, the Crafty Monkey pottery painting studio opens in Moores Walk this weekend. Owner Chrissy Brown said: “You don’t need an artistic bone in your body to create your own unique masterpiece.”