Maldon Royal Oak pub set for extension as plans approved

The Royal Oak, in Fambridge Road, is set to be extended to form a new restaurant and toilets. 

The proposals will mean it can also create a new entrance lobby and allow it to have 40 extra covers. 

A small amount of the pub's beer garden will be lost but landlord Kim Broadhurst believes it is a small price to pay for the expansion. 

Outside - The Royal Oak in Maldon (Image: Submitted)

The planning statement said: “The extension of the toilet facilities ensures accessibility for all the community with the addition of an independent disabled toilet, whilst the extension to the dining area will allow for the increase of customers through the door. 

“A small amount of the beer garden will be lost for the new extension to the right hand side, as well as ample parking being retained to the current car park on the left hand side, with the vehicular access remaining unchanged.”

Kim said: “We’ve had a footpath put in from the Taylor Wimpey site down through along the edge of a field to our garden.

"It has proved to be extremely popular so people can walk down to new site.

“Planning went in November for an extension to the rear of the pub and there will be an entrance built at the car park side of the pub, not along the road as it currently is.

Landlord - Kim Broadhurst (Image: Kim Broadhurst)

“We’ll also have disabled toilets and baby changing room facilities - at the moment, we can’t do that as we have one ladies’ toilet which has two steps down to it.

“So, this will be a huge improvement."

Kim said there will also be an extended bar area.  

“We’ll have another approximately 40 covers for the dining area," he added. 

“To the side of the garden, there will be a barbecue area and a patio area overlooking the fields at the back.

“That’s what people love to see - we have chairs along the embankment and people sit there on a summer evening, enjoying the view of the fields.

“The extension won’t detract from the garden.”