An MP has criticised proposals to convert a village pub that has been shut for more than a year into a home.

Plans have been lodged with East Suffolk Council to change the use of the Queen pub in The Street, Brandeston.

But the scheme has caught the attention of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Dr Dan Poulter, who has set out his "concerns" over the plans to the local authority.

The Queen has remained shut since November 2022, with the owners having not yet given an indication when it might reopen.

Among the planning documents submitted alongside the application is a viability report for the pub, conducted by Savills.

East Anglian Daily Times: Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Dr Dan PoulterCentral Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Dr Dan Poulter (Image: Sarah Lucy Brown)

The report highlights the pub's dwindling revenues it has made in the last five years, including a £118,474 loss in 2018.

It concludes that the Queen "is not a viable business in both the short term and long term following refurbishment".

But residents in Brandeston have been campaigning for the Queen to reopen since the closure last year, with no other pubs in the village north of Woodbridge.

The planning application has attracted a series of concerns and objections from residents.

In his objection letter, Dr Poulter said he was contacted by a "considerable number" of his constituents who had voiced their concerns that the Queen may not reopen as a pub in future.

He highlighted the Queen's status as an asset of community value – which places certain restrictions on development – and said he shares his constituents' "extreme disappointment" at the proposals.

Dr Poulter said: "Should the application be approved, this will deprive Brandeston of a much needed community hub and in my view, this risks changing the character of this historic village forever.

"I would urge that due consideration is given to this important application."