Landlady's new bid to convert pub into house

The landlady of a village pub is making a new attempt to turn itinto a house after a year spent trying to make it pay.

Council planners rejected an application from Sally Gray toconvert the Northend Inn at Batheaston into a house two years ago,saying she had not proved the pub was financially unviable.

At that time, villagers complained of a chicken-and-egg situationwhere they never quite knew when the pub was going to open, and theinn eventually shut.

Miss Gray reopened it in October last year but, earlier thisyear, put it on the market with a price tag of Pounds 600,000.

In documents sent to Bath and North East Somerset Council insupport of her application, she says she and her family had invested"considerable additional capital" in the pub but now foundthemselves "in a more unviable position".

She says there are three other pubs in the immediate area whichare "in a more advantageous position in terms of local amenities".

When she put the 17th-century pub on the market, she accusedresidents in Batheaston of failing to support the Northend, despitetheir concern that it should not close - saying her regulars werefrom Box, Colerne and Swainswick.

Miss Gray, who runs the business with her partner and four sons,said cut-price alcohol at supermarkets, changes to licensing lawsand the smoking ban had also had a negative impact on trade.

The last application had been opposed by Batheaston ParishCouncil, which has yet to meet to take a formal stance on the latestplan.

Chairman David Lavington said: "We're disappointed this hashappened. It's the only pub in that part of the village - Northendis separated, really."

The pub staged a fundraising race night to support Help forHeroes on Saturday.