Duke of York Inn could welcome back customers after five years

The Duke of York in Grindleton could finally be set to re-open its doors as a pub serving the community.

The site would also operate as a café during the day and even as a bed and breakfast to bring tourism into the small village.

Residents of the village have been campaigning under the Grindleton Community Pub group to have one of their two former pubs, the Duke of York or the Buck Inn re-opened to serve the community after they both closed about five years ago.

They were hoping to open one of the sites as a community-run pub, however, they have said that these plans submitted are 'very much in line' with what the community were hoping to do themselves.

How the Duke of York Inn could look according to the planning application submitted to Ribble Valley Borough Council (Image: Ribble Valley Council Planning Portal)

A spokesperson for Grindleton Community Pub said: "We are delighted that the community support, coordinated by the efforts of the Grindleton Community Pub group, has led the owner of the Duke of York to submit new plans which include the retention of a pub and the addition of a café and letting rooms.

"Although the original objective was to purchase the Duke of York and establish a community pub and café of our own, the plans which have now been submitted are very much in line with what was envisaged by the community.

"These new plans are felt to be the next best option and as a result won substantial community support following a consultation event.

"Grindleton Community Pub is keen to support the plans, ensure they progress as proposed and enable an attractive Grade-II listed building and facility at the heart of our community to be protected and brought back into use.

"It is clear to us that without the community support we would be facing a far less satisfactory outcome at the Duke of York than the one that is now being proposed."

If approved, a planning application submitted to Ribble Valley Council says the Grade-II listed pub, which served food and had living accommodation, would be converted to a pub with a bar serving food, a cafe and bed and breakfast.

The applicants are seeking to extend and alter the building, including the construction of three one-bed holiday apartments, manager accommodation, alterations to vehicle access and landscaping.

They are also looking to demolish the single-storey 1960s dining room, store and replace it with a new double-pitched roofed single-storey extension for the café.

The planning application reads: “The Duke of York in its current form is not a viable business.

"The aim of the proposed development is to expand the business offering at the site, to increase activity during the day and create different income streams to secure viability.

“Principally it is envisaged that the existing public house bar and dining area will be supported by offering overnight guest accommodation both within the building and as self-contain units within the site and providing a cafe to attract additional daytime customers into the building.

“To support this, it is proposed to capitalise on the attractiveness and historical interest of the building by using the upper floors to provide six bed and breakfast letting bedrooms and relocate the manager's accommodation into the new building on the site.”

READ MORE: Community campaign saves former pub from becoming housing

Since 2017, a number of plans have been made for the site, however, locals have objected to them.

At one point, a planning application was submitted to convert the former pub into a house with a garden, but this was heavily objected to by the group who are adamant to have a pub back in their village.

In 2019, the land and buildings of the Duke of York were included on a list of assets of community value after being nominated by the Grindleton Community Pub Ltd, with The Buck Inn added to the list after being nominated by Grindleton Parish Council.

Residents have until October 18 to have their voices heard on the proposed plans.