A DERELICT pub once owned by the late father of England football manager Terry Venables is due to be demolished to make way for a care home.

Permission for a revised plan to knock-down Freddies, in Sewardstone Road, in Waltham Abbey, and replace it with the two-storey home has been granted by Epping Forest District Council.

The site already has one care home on it, and the scheme had attracted criticism from a number of neighbours on nearby Godwin Close.

One woman neighbour, speaking at the district council’s planning committee, said: “The whole building itself is going to be so close to our building. It’s going to be dark, and dreary. We’re going to have no privacy whatsoever. I’ve had to take blinds down, and put net curtains up. Why do we want another home? Isn’t one enough? It’s depressing to think that we’re going to have that there.”

Permission to build another care home on the site had already been granted, with councillors asked to approve an alternative design.

Councillor Pat Brooks said: “I find this very difficult because either way, whatever we agree to, if they turn down this application they can put forward the previous one. I was horrified at how close it’s going to be. The gardens are very short and I have every sympathy.”

Every councillor on the planning committee abstained from voting on the application, and approval was granted by chairman John Wyatt’s casting vote.

He said: “I’m judging my decision on the fact that the second plans before us tonight are smaller than the first ones which they can build anyway so I’m going to pass my casting vote in favour of the application.”

The premises were the Royal Oak pub in the days when they were owned by Terry’s father Fred Venables.