PLANS to demolish a pub and replace it with housing have been approved.

South Bucks District Council approved plans for two semi-detached dwelling houses to be built on the site of The Stag pub, in Hawthorn Lane, Burnham.

The pub, also known as Beeches Grill, closed down in 2012. The site was purchased by Rouse Construction in mid-2012, with it claiming the The Stag had been an 'impossible licensed business to trade profitably’.

The company had looked at continuing it as a pub, despite opposition from its neighbours, but the cost of refurbishment, alongside the lack of a customer base meant it was not viable.

Alan Molloy, CAMRA branch secretary for Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead, said: “We made a decision as CAMRA not to try and fight it. There are other pubs in the area which we do support, such as the Blackwood Arms and The Emperor.

“We cannot save every pub and that one we didn’t try to save. It is a difficult area and it didn’t help with the car parking, which was free until the City of London decided to introduce charges.” The application was approved last month. An original application was refused in January.