Plans to demolish the old Cap in Hand pub next to the A3 have been refused by Kingston Council.

Developers wanted to build 38 homes in its place, but council officers thought the plans did not justify losing the pub for the community.

The Cap in Hand, just off the Ace of Spades Roundabout, was run by JD Wetherspoon until it was sold by the freeholder in September 2015 before closing in January 2016; it used to be called The Southborough Arms.

Developer Mendoza Ltd’s plans were to build a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom homes, all of them qualifying as “affordable”.

Proposals involved demolishing the existing 1930s pub building and putting up buildings of up to seven storeys in its place, as well as a row of terraced houses to the west of the site.

Kingston and Leatherhead branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra)’s pub protection coordinator Chris Miller said: “We’re delighted that the application has been refused. The present proposals would have led to the loss of what we believe could be a commercially viable pub.

“And there was no suggestion of any alternative facility for people who live and work in the area. We would hope that if they modify their plans, the developer could take account of this, and may be able to develop some of the land but leave the pub for future use.”

Mendoza’s reasoning for getting rid of the pub was that its years of success were during a time when it was more normal to drive to and from a pub – so it being so close to the A3 makes it unsuited nowadays.

Mr Miller claimed the pub was still viable at the time of its closure, and the sale appears to have been a commercial decision by the freeholder.

When JD Wetherspoon was getting rid of its less profitable leasehold pubs in 2015, the Cap in Hand was not on that list.

In fact, Mr Miller said the pub was well-used by the community until it closed, and was recognised in Camra’s “Good Beer Guide” ten times between 2002 and 2015.

As well as for not justifying the loss of the pub, council officers refused the application because it was not in keeping with the area in terms of size and character, as well as the lack of amenity space meaning the accommodation would be “substandard”.

The proposed affordable housing was all “intermediate”, meaning it was below market value but above a social rent; Kingston’s planning rules target a maximum of 30 per cent of affordable housing being intermediate.

In a 19-page report, officers said they had received 103 letters objecting to the plans, with residents’ concerns including the loss of the pub, pressure on local infrastructure and services and a lack of family housing in the scheme.