Conservationists have hit out at plans to transform a historic city pub where people facing the death penalty would stop to have one last drink centuries ago into student accommodation.
Developers want to change the use of the Nags Head, in Mansfield Road, into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) for students.
Hilary Silvester, chair of the Nottingham Civic Society, said people given the death penalty at the former County Court, in High Pavement, would stop at the pub before being hanged at Gallows Hill, where the [City] cemetery now is in Forest Road East, near the Mansfield Road junction.
"It's a shame if it becomes another student residence," she said.
"Nothing against students, it should, if at all possible, retain some of the historic use and character.
"It's a pity some brewery/restaurant people haven't taken it up and developed (the site).
"It's the sort of eating area of Nottingham with all sorts of restaurants - that would be ideal to use it for that purpose.
"It's not just a pub that was there in the early 19th century.
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"It was a pub that has this relationship with something that is a bit spooky and horrible but historic.
"It would be far better if it could be retained and let or used as some sort of bar or something to do with its recent use."
It is understood the pub closed last October.
Local businesses rued the loss of the pub - while some passersby said the area would reap the benefits of having more students living there.
Andy Walters, 32, general manager of the Lincolnshire Poacher, a pub over the road from the Nags Head, said: "We want pubs to stay open. Some people think competition is a bad thing but sometimes the competition is a good thing.
"We are growing so we're fine, but it makes me worry about the area and the industry."
Holly Willoughby, 22, of Mansfield Road, said: "Well I'm a student and I think it's brilliant.
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"There aren't that many students on this road anyway. Students bring a lot of money into this city and things like this benefit the community.
"To be fair, we went inside a few times and it wasn't that great."
Megaclose Ltd, known for renting out student accommodation across the city, wants to convert the building.
According to a planning application, which has been submitted to Nottingham City Council for consideration, the pub occupied the ground floor.
The first and second floors were let as a five-bed property, on a room-by-room basis.
The conversion of the building is planned to create an additional HMO. Megaclose wants to create an eight-bed unit and a four-bed unit.
Sam Critchlow, the project architect of Rayner Davies Architects working on behalf of the developer, added: "Megaclose do have a number of properties on Mansfield Road already. It's a popular choice for students because of the location.
"The site itself fits the brief in terms of what they (Megaclose) are looking for. It was a good opportunity for them."
He explained the conversion works would be "very minimal" and "very unobtrusive".
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