Plan to turn Diss by Verve Hotel into rehab clinic prompts outcry amongst Scole residents

A plan to convert a Grade I-listed building in Scole into a rehabilitation clinic has prompted outcry from local residents.

An application has been submitted to South Norfolk Council to turn Diss by Verve Hotel, in The Street, into a private treatment centre for people suffering from addiction.

Verve Health, which also runs a rehabilitation centre in Watton, has said the private facility will accommodate up to 20 clients – typically from high-paying professions – with the aim of teaching them skills such as meditation.

Residents appear overwhelmingly opposed to the proposals, however, with some suggesting that the loss of the hotel – formerly known as the The Scole Inn – could have a knock-on effect on surrounding businesses.

In an objection submitted to the planning application, Dennis Noble, who lives in Norwich Road, in Scole, said: “If the application for change of use is successful, it will have an adverse effect on the local community.

“Firstly, there would be a loss of public access to a building of historic significance.

“There would be a loss of trade next door to the village store and off licence and also a loss of trade 30 metres away at the Crossways public house – both businesses frequently used by Scole Inn guests.”

Another resident worried that turning the building into a residential institution could open the door for more changes in future.

Judith Phillip said: “It is my view that a facility such as that proposed is not best placed in such an historic building, nor in the centre of a conservation area, nor in the centre of a populated area.

“The villagers are worried that the change of use could be changed again in the future once granted and that this could lead to some other venture even more unsuitable, or indeed safe, in such a populated area.

“If the owners do not wish to run the building as an inn, hotel or restaurant, then they should sell it now at a sensible price to someone who would run it as a high-quality hotel, with a restaurant serving good-quality meals and a welcoming bar with a style more in keeping with its heritage and history.”

Built in 1655, the hotel has become an institution in the village, and is believed to boast the largest open fireplace in East Anglia.

In recent years, however, it has been operating at a loss – a situation only exacerbated by the pandemic.

Verve Health claim that the new clinic would provide a boost to the local economy, providing local employment and reducing the burden on the NHS.

In its application, the firm said: “The proposal will secure the long-term viable use of the heritage asset, to ensure that it continues to be enhanced and preserved; provide local employment opportunities that will help to support the future growth of the area and contribute positively to the local economy.”

The statement added: “The proximity to local services and facilities will ensure that the proposal enhances and contributes to maintain the vitality of the local community and economy by supporting local services and facilities.”