West Rounton: Little evidence to support pub change of use - planners

The Horseshoe Inn in West Rounton was closed in 2022, North Yorkshire planers said

There is little proof to support the proposed permanent closure of a North Yorkshire pub, planners have said.

The owner of the Horseshoe Inn, West Rounton, has applied to change it to residential use, saying he had been unable to sell it as a public house.

But planning officials said he had only provided "limited evidence" of the pub's recent trading history.

A community interest group also hoped to buy the Grade II-listed building and reopen the pub, they said.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, documents lodged with North Yorkshire Council stated the Horseshoe Inn's tenants surrendered their lease of the pub during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Owner Stan Taylor then closed it at the end of 2022, blaming rising costs and limited trade.

In planning documents, Mr Taylor stated it had "clearly been demonstrated that within the village there is insufficient usage and support to sustain the present premises".

He added that the pub was "no longer financially and operationally viable".

Mr Taylor began marketing the Horseshoe Inn in January 2023 for £375,000, later reducing the price to £300,000, but there had been no viewings or offers made, according to planners.

'Community ownership'

West Rounton Parish Council had objected to the change of use and the Rountons Community Interest Group had expressed interest in buying it.

In their report to councillors, planning officials said Mr Taylor had declined to meet members of the group on several occasions.

While planners accepted the property was "not attractive to the current market", the change of use was not in line with council policies, they said.

Their report added that Mr Taylor had provided "only limited evidence relating to the recent trading history of the premises".

The pub had recently been designated an Asset of Community Value and the fact a community group wished to buy it meant there was a "prospect of securing a continued use as a public house", planners said.

"Given that there is an opportunity to bring the pub into community ownership, the proposed change of use is not considered to weigh in favour of the proposals, in the planning balance," they concluded.

A North Yorkshire Council planning committee is due to consider the change of use application on 11 April.