A DISUSED pub has lived to fight another day after plans to convert it into six flats were turned down.

Proposals to turn the Rose and Crown in Chesham into housing have been turned down by planning bosses at Chiltern District Council.

Losing a community facility and a failure to provide any affordable housing were cited as reasons for refusing the application.

Outlining the reasons for refusal, the council's Development Control Manager Richard Turnbull said: "The loss of such a facility would only be acceptable...where a replacement service or facility can be provided in an equally convenient location or it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the council that the facility is not longer required for its existing use, or for any other community use.

"In this case, no replacement community service or facility is proposed and no convincing evidence has been provided as part of the application to demonstrate that the property is no longer required as a public house or for any other community use.

"In the absence of such evidence, the proposal would result in the unacceptable loss of a community service."

Council planning guidelines state developments of five to seven dwellings must provide at least one affordable housing unit, which the Rose and Crown application did not. Mr Turnbull said this was another reason for refusing the application.

A previous attempt to convert the pub, in Waterside, into housing was turned down and rejected on appeal.

The Rose and Crown ceased trading in May 2012 but news of the plans to turn it into flats was met with strong opposition from residents.