AN HISTORIC yacht clubhouse will be converted into a house after plans got the green light.

The clubhouse of the former Crouch Yacht Club in Coronation Road, Burnham, will be extended as part of the proposals after Maldon District Council approved the plans on Monday night.

The clubhouse was built in 1905 as a sail loft, and later by the yacht club from 1907 to the present day.

Conservative Burnham councillor Neil Pudney said approving the plans was the best option for the building which has aged a lot in recent years.

Mr Pudney said: “I was OK with the decision. For years the building has started to look a bit old and I don’t believe the yacht club would have many members any more.

“The applicants are keen to restore the building as it is quite old. They wanted to bring it back to how it was and we were quite in favour of that.”

Planning officers had recommended the council refuse the application as it would result in the “unjustified loss of a community, leisure and tourism facility”.

Case officer Devan Lawson said: “It has not been satisfactorily demonstrated that adequate efforts have been made to find an alternative site use, that the loss of this facility would not unacceptably downgrade the tourist facilities of the district.”

The officers’ report also said there had not been enough evidence to prove the development would not be vulnerable to flooding.

But Mr Pudney was not convinced the area would be at risk of flooding, along with a number of other residents who showed their support.

Richard Bettany, of Burnham, said: “It is of course sad that the Crouch Yacht Club was not able to remain operational, however, I believe that this proposal represents a unique opportunity to restore the original building in a very imaginative way that will enhance the quay.

“Doing nothing will not enhance the area and may well lead to a much less attractive future development.”