STIRTON residents have won their fight to stop the village's Tarn House being converted into housing.

Craven District Council's planning committee went against an officer's recommendations and rejected plans to turn the 19th century building into six houses, claiming it should protect public services and amenities.

Members said that not enough had been done to sell the business as a going concern.

Planning officer Roger France warned members that they had to prove the hotel's functions were unique and essential to the economic or social life of the village.

However, he pointed out that Tarn House had only been a pub for 30 years, and that the village was within a reasonable distance to neighbouring towns and villages. He suggested the hotel and its functions were not special or unique.

Speaking on behalf of Stirton with Thorlby Parish Meeting, Mike Audin said residents were opposed to the plans. "It is a special pub to the village," he said.

Mr Audin claimed a local businessman had offered the asking price for the property intending to run it as a business. But he said when Tozer Developments offered more money to convert it into housing, owner Lindsay Ackroyd accepted.

Ward representative David Crawford said: "Residents do not want to see this facility lost to the village."

He added that there was no proof that efforts had to be made to market the business as a going concern. "It is all very well for the owner to say 'everyone knew it was for sale' but where is the evidence and the adverts to prove it?"

Members were told that £20 had been spent on advertising the property for sale but Coun Marcia Turner said this was nothing

"How can we justify deliberately removing a business which is an asset and which is an amenity to the village?" she asked.

But Steve Place said he understood the owner's wishes to capitalise on his investment.

Owner Mr Ackroyd recently told the Herald that the business could not survive on hotel room bookings alone. He said many events had been cancelled during the foot and mouth crisis and being a free house there was not enough money to spend on it.

Coun Paul English said it was not up to the committee to make a decision on whether the business was viable.

Rod Tozer of Skipton-based Tozer Rural Developments said should the plans be passed the quality of the work would be second to none. He said the company specialised in this kind of development.