The Millfields Trust has applied in Plymouth to convert The Famous Firkin in Stonehouse into two family homes after shelving plans to reopen it as a pub and community hub. The move shifts the future of the building in Adelaide Place from a shared venue to residential use and now goes to Plymouth City Council for planning permission and listed building consent.
The trust said it had explored community, commercial and employment uses, but none proved financially viable because of the building’s condition, the investment needed to make it compliant and the limits of its listed status. It also said independent surveys found ongoing deterioration, including water ingress and internal structural issues, and warned: “Without intervention, further decline is likely.”
William Phillips on Adelaide Street
William Phillips, who has lived in nearby Adelaide Street for 14 years, said the homes would “not improve the soul of Stonehouse”. He added: “It would have served a purpose during the day as a lot of people are lonely during the day and can get out because it is daylight. I understand there was also going to be mother and baby groups and other things. In the evenings it was going to be a traditional pub.”
Phillips also said: “They will be up for sale because they will have to recoup the money somehow.”
The Famous Firkin in Stonehouse
The building, formerly called the Adelaide Inn, began operating as a pub in 1921 and was closed during the covid pandemic by the proprietor at the time. It never reopened. The property was sold to The Millfields Trust in 2022, when Plymouth City Council gave the trust a £130,000 loan and the site was registered as a community asset.
The trust has since paid back the loan. In planning documents to Plymouth City Council, it said The Famous Firkin has significant cracks in the masonry, while leaning and poorly constructed walls rendered the building unsafe and unfit for use. The same documents say poor-quality additions such as uPVC cladding and unsympathetic windows had marred the façade.
Plymouth City Council decision
The trust said the Board agreed that moving to planning consent for conversion to two homes was “the most practical way to secure a sustainable long-term use.” It may develop the homes itself, partner with another organisation or dispose of the site with planning in place. Plymouth City Council now has to decide whether to grant the planning permission and listed building consent that would allow the conversion to proceed.
