PLANS to open a cocktail bar in the former premises of an Oxfam bookshop have been given the go-ahead.

The application for Nightshade, for the listed High Street building in Skipton, was lodged by The Selfish Spirits Company and has now been approved by North Yorkshire Council.

Oxfam has reopened in a larger building formerly occupied by Yorkshire Bank.

In addition to the change of use, permission has also been given for the installation of an awning and repainting of the shopfront.

The original plan was to repaint the entire front of the premises blue, but because of a negative impact on the conservation area, and following negotiations between council officers and the applicant, only the timber frontage will be repainted, and the white and black quoins will remain.

The planning officer's report said the awning box is 'modest in size and neat in design, fitting well with the arched shop front window'.

Work to the inside will include the installation of a bar, a seating bench, counters and shelves, and a new toilet.

In statements to the council, the applicant says the bar will be called 'Nightshade' and that it is an ethically conscious company, which aims for sustainability in its practices.

It states: "This ethos will carry forward to the Nightshade cocktail bar also, aiming for sustainable practices wherever we can.

"An example of this is what we do with some of our waste; we’ll be recycling our waste as much as we possibly can, but we’ll also be looking into alternative options for waste, such as utilising The Coffee Recycling Company to collect our used coffee grounds and turn them into renewable fuels.

"We also run charity fundraising events, which could raise money for ecological or humanitarian causes, with plans to have a section of the menu which has the option to purchase drinks where a portion of the funds goes towards these causes."

The bar has permission to open Sunday to Thursday, between the hours of 10am and midnight, and on Friday and Saturday, from 10am and 1am.