WARNINGS that a fight to stop Barnoldswick's old town hall being turned into a pub was far from over have been proved right.

Just as residents in the area began to think they might have won the controversial battle, another planning application for the conversion has been submitted to Pendle Council by pub company Inns and Leisure Ltd.

Former Barnoldswick councillor Mike Warner has co-ordinated the campaign against the proposed conversion of the historic building on Jepp Hill. He and nearby residents claim another pub in the town centre would make their lives a misery.

They have protested strongly against the move, and seen a series of planning applications fall. The first, for the conversion of the building, was refused permission on design grounds and inadequate access. An amended second application was withdrawn at the last minute when it became clear that access would still be a problem.

And most recently a bid by Pendle Council's own estates department to resolve those access problems also failed.

It applied to demolish a boiler house and part of a wall to create a "service bay" for vehicles delivering to the building, essentially paving the way for a pub conversion.

But members of the council's West Craven Area Committee turned down the application for conservation area consent to carry out the work.

After that victory for the residents, Mr Warner told the area committee it was time that Pendle Council abandoned the pub option and looked instead at other possible uses for the building, such as conversion to flats.

But he was told the council had a legal duty to obtain the best possible price for the building, and that would be for a pub conversion. As long as an offer remained on the table, the council had no option but to pursue it.

He was warned by Coun David Whipp that the planning process was far from exhausted, and the pub company could still come back.

Now that is what has happened, with a full application from Inns and Leisure Ltd to convert the building to a public house, erect an extension to the rear and form a service area at the side.

As Coun Whipp previously explained, even if the new application is refused permission by the West Craven committee, the applicants still have the right to appeal against that refusal.

It would then be up to a professional planning inspector, appointed by the Government, to weigh all the issues and reach a decision.

The new application is due to be discussed by the area committee at its meeting on May 11, when the residents who oppose it have vowed to turn out in force again.

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