Planning permission to convert The Royal Mail pub in Thorngumbald into a Co-Operative supermarket was recently granted, leaving villagers with one less place to drink their ale.
Locals previously campaigned to save the watering hole by requesting to have the pub listed as an asset of community value, a proposal rejected by the council.
However, licensee of the pub, Paul Smith, doesn’t plan on leaving locals dry, as he has submitted plans to bring Thorngumbald a new micropub, requesting to convert a former sorting office located in the village.
Mr. Smiths planning application says:
“The pub is due to close and the post office is due to move to a unit in the Church Lane shops.
“Consequently, this application is a reaction to this change and is an attempt to keep a full range of services within the village.
“If approved, the local planning system will be performing its economic role by encouraging investment in the local economy, its social role by maintaining community facilities and its environmental role by protecting the built environment by maintaining a use for the building and site”
We wish paul all the best with the application and hope to have the new micropub listed in the near future.