Plans submitted to refurb the Dirty Duck pub Barrow

The agent outlined on the application is Lakeland Architectural. It was submitted to Westmorland and Furness Council on 24 July, then validated and opened to public consultation on September 18. The applicant is Joe Elliot who is the owner of Furness Tiles and bought the pub at auction. 

He said in June that he hopes the pub will be open again for Christmas. He said that the pub would need to undergo a 'full refurbishment' before opening. 

The inside of the Dirty Duck pub when it was up for auction with Pugh (Image: Pugh)

The application describes the proposed development and change of use to the property as follows: "Refurbishment and alterations to existing public house, conversion of first floor domestic flat and associated loft space into six bedroom HMO, demolition of existing rear extensions, construction of new two-storey rear extension, two front pitched roof dormers, a rear flat roof dormer and external staircase."

Currently, there is only a three-bedroom flat above the pub. 

Mr Elliot said after he bought the pub at auction that he did not want to see the building 'turned into flats.' 

He said: "I’ve always lived in the same area and I used to drink in the Dirty Duck when I first started drinking. There are a lot of happy memories.

"It’s going to need everything, I’m going to try and keep as many bits as I can but there’s not much to be honest, it’s all been stripped out." 

The pub dates at least as far back as 1881. It is thought that it was previously called the Black Swan. 

The property has been vacant since 2019 when the owners retired and houses a bar, lounge and games area in the pub section. Alongside the existing bedrooms, there is a kitchen, lounge and bathroom in the flat. 

It went up for auction with Pugh in May with a guide price of £32,000. Corrie and Co had previously marketed the pub for £150,000.