A NATIONAL pub operator which wants permission to open in Brentwood until as late as 1.30am has announced its planned start date.

Duchess and The Dressmaker is set to open at the site of the former Prezzo restaurant in Brentwood High Street in the spring.

Its operator McMullen & Sons says it will offer “fresh seasonal food, on-trend cocktails, great music, and events”.

A licence application to Brentwood Borough Council has indicated it wants to open until 12.30am in the morning between Sunday to Wednesday and until 1.30am Thursday to Saturday.

It is a slight variation from early plans when it said it planned to open between 10am and 11pm Sunday to Thursday and between 10am and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

A statement as part of a licensing application said: “We are delighted to announce that we are opening a new bar in the heart of Brentwood, Essex in Spring 2024.

“The bar is named The Duchess and The Dressmaker (…) [it] is in the centre of the town and will pick up trade from a wide base including locals, shoppers, and office workers.”

The Hertford-based brewery has more than 80 establishments across the country including in Harlow and Bishops Stortford.

An application submitted by McMullen & Sons in November last year to allow a change of use from a restaurant to a pub is still pending.

Prezzo, which stood for around 20 years before closing last year, took over the Grade II listed site where The Hobgoblin pub operated until its closure in 2003.

A statement as part of the planning application from McMullen & Sons said: “The premises are currently vacant but have huge potential to contribute positively to Brentwood town centre.

“As a listed building, it is crucial that the property receives the investment it needs to ensure its longevity and usefulness, as well as providing the type of quality experience that customers expect.

“The application proposals will support economic growth by making a significant financial investment to bring the premises back into gainful use and reinstate long-established food and drink premises, thereby creating new employment opportunities. As well as providing local employment, the pub will provide a valued community meeting place.”

The company says it would return the modern façade to the original brickwork. Three awnings are proposed along the shopfront to provide protection to the planned pavement seating underneath.

The statement added: “The proposal is to convert the premises back into public house use which was the established use before the most recent restaurant use. The town centre location is ideal for a public house use and should be considered acceptable in principle.”