Rebrand of Black Boy Pub among latest planning applications

In January, it was announced that the Black Boy Pub in Shinfield would be renamed the Shinfield Arms following suggestions the prior name had racist connotations.

Shinfield falls within Wokingham Borough Council, so the plan has submitted to the council for consent.

In Bracknell Forest, an application has been submitted to convert an unused church into a two bedroom home.

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Other applications have been submitted to convert garage buildings into homes.

To get more details for plans within Bracknell Forest, enter the planning reference at https://planapp.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/online-applications/.

To see plans in Wokingham, head to the borough council planning portal: https://planning.wokingham.gov.uk/FastWebPL/welcome.asp

Renaming The Black Boy pub to The Shinfield Arms (Wokingham app 211271)

Greene King, the owners of The Black Boy pub, have applied to rename it The Shinfield Arms.

The massive chain, which runs approximately 3,100 pubs, chose to rename The Black Boy pub because of its ‘racist connotations’.

However, it has been argued that the term ‘Black Boy’ may refer to Charles II, who was called a ‘black boy’ by his mother, Henrietta Maria of France. It is also thought to refer to a black horse, or child chimney sweeps whose faces got turned ‘black’ with soot – popularised in the film Mary Poppins.

After a public vote, Greene King decided to rename it The Shinfield Arms, which beat out alternative names The King’s Rest and The Merry Monarch.

READ MORE: Shinfield pub The Black Boy to change name due to 'racist connotations': Here's what you said

However, before the name is changed for good, Greene King must receive advertising consent from Wokingham Borough Council.

The plan involves putting the new name on the pub itself and changing its two road signs. The designs have been drawn up by Ashleigh Signs.

The application was received and validated on Monday, April 12.

A public consultation of the plan is in progress, and ends on Saturday, May 15.

Members of the public are free to submit comments, yet none have been made so far.

Change of use from vacant church into two bedroom home in Winkfield Row (21/00340/FUL)

An application has been submitted to change the use of The Methodist Church in Winkfield Row into a two bedroom home.

The new home would have a cloakroom, toilet, utility room and study at the front of the church, then a kitchen, dining room and living room at the back.

Upstairs, there would be two en-suite bedrooms.

A design, access and heritage statement states that the church has been unused since April 2018. The next closest Methodist Church is in Shepherd’s Lane, Bracknell.

Building of three detached buildings of 15 flats after demolition of existing buildings in Sandhurst (20/00860/OUT)

Here, the applicant is seeking to knock down a disused blacksmiths forge and house and replace it with three buildings to provide a total of 15 flats.

The planning statement reads: “A blacksmiths has occupied the property from at least the early twentieth century and the applicant has occupied the site since 1950.”

The plan would require demolishing three buildings for the flat accommodation.

Build of a 2 storey extension as an annexe to existing home in Ascot  (21/00295/FUL)

The applicants in Field House Close in Ascot have applied to build a two storey side extension on their home for use a residential annex on their existing home. 

The annexe would have a total of two bedrooms, one of those en-suite, a kitchen/diner, a living area and a landing through to the main house.

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