Plans to reinvent a long-shut pub on a busy Surrey high street have finally been put forward.

The Elmbridge Arms Pub on Weybridge High Street shut abruptly in 2024.

Rumours circulated last summer that the property, sitting on a prominent bend opposite Baker Street, would be converted into shops and new homes.

Now, developers Solanum Holdings Ltd have revealed their vision for shops and up to 13 flats on the site.

The full application proposes a partial change of use from a pub to commercial space on the ground floor, while the upper floors would be converted and extended to create five flats. A further eight flats would be built at the back after partially demolishing the existing building and the removing the old garages.

The developers say the scheme is designed to keep the high street lively while encouraging more people to live in the town centre. The ground floor has recently been refurbished and is being marketed to potential new tenants, according to planning documents.

Behind the frontage, the plans show a mews-style residential development, designed to fit with the character of nearby Holstein Avenue homes. The new buildings would have pitched roofs and traditional styling.

The scheme would increase the number of homes on the site from two to 13- dubbed by the developers as  primarily smaller “starter” homes. Planning documents state this meets a local need and makes efficient use of a brownfield site in a town centre location, in line with national and local planning policy.

However, a couple of residents have raised concerns about overdevelopment. They say the narrow cul-de-sac at the rear would struggle with the extra traffic from 13 flats and commercial deliveries. Parking is also a worry: the proposal includes only five on-site car spaces, which could increase pressure on surrounding streets. Other concerns include bin storage, servicing arrangements, and disruption during construction.

Planning officers previously raised similar issues in pre-application talks, prompting revised designs to reduce the bulk of the buildings and improve alignment with neighbouring properties. Angled and screened windows are planned to protect privacy, and the layout has been tested for sunlight and daylight standards, the documents say.

Residents have until February 17 to comment on the application, with Elmbridge Borough Council hoping to make a decision by March 24.