A businessman has urged residents not to worry that he will turn their village’s last remaining pub into a restaurant.
A planning application has been submitted to North Yorkshire Council for work at the Half Moon in Barton, between Richmond and Darlington.
The pub is owned by Punch Taverns, but it is currently on the market with a guide price of £225,000.
The application has been submitted by restaurateur and chef Gary Chin, who already owns the Soju by Sumo restaurant in Northallerton, as well as two Asian restaurants in Humberside.
It is understood that the plans have been drawn up ahead of a potential purchase of the pub by Mr Chin, who in 2022 won BBC Two’s Britain’s Top Takeaways contest.
The application seeks permission for a reconfiguration of the existing cellar, store and garage to create extra space for trading.
Two internal walls would be removed and a new extraction system would be installed.
Supporting documents stress that the premises would still continue to operate as a pub, if the purchase went ahead and planning permission was granted.
They add: “The proposal is intended to enhance existing facilities to support the long-term viability of the public house, which is the village’s only remaining pub and a designated asset of community value (ACV). There is no change of use proposed.
“The premises will remain in lawful use as a public house (sui generis), with food provision continuing to be ancillary to the primary pub use.
“The proposals have been carefully developed to respect the building’s positive contribution to the village character, its relationship with the village green, and the amenity of neighbouring residents.”
But despite the statements, concerns have been voiced in the village that the pub will be turned into a restaurant.
Meg Walker is the current landlady of the pub, running the business on a flexible ‘tenancy at will’ basis.
She said: “The current situation is that the people who have put the planning application in, own a chain of Chinese restaurants.
“But the village is very keen to keep it as a community asset.
“I have events on, sometimes four or five days a week, to encourage the local community to use the place and they do.
“The community feeling is building and building, and the last thing we want to do is lose that.”
Residents have also posted their concerns on social media, with one stating: “This application needs to be opposed at every turn.”
But Mr Chin told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that residents’ concerns were unfouned.
He added: “My aim is keep the current community pub by investing my money to refurbish the place, adding a variety of craft beers and wines, plus serving local sourced ingredients and quality food as a secondary revenue.
“So in short, keeping the pub is our main goal plus adding quality food to help sustain the business.
“I would sincerely ask the local residents not to worry too much that it would turn into a restaurant, but just re-imagine it a village pub serving quality foods.”
The pub was registered as an asset of community value by North Yorkshire Council last year amid concerns a new owner would turn the building into housing.
