Plans to demolish part of a former grade II listed pub and turn it into a three-bedroom house have been refused by the council.

John Kay applied to change the existing grade II listed Cross Gaits pub in Blacko into a house and then erect a second four-bedroom property on the existing carpark.

He also wanted to demolish the rear pitched gable extension and rear flat roof extension of the pub due to the extensions being of “poor quality, non-original and are not required for the new proposed use of the building”.

The Cross Gaits, on Beverley Road, closed last year, and at the end of January the pub was listed as an Asset of Community Value.

In December, the tenants of the Cross Gaits, Adam Marshall and Peter Godwin said in a statement that their lease was coming to an end and the future of the pub looked uncertain.

Mr Marshall and Mr Godwin said they were “very sad” to announce the pub’s closure and said the brewery had taken the decision to sell the premises.

An application to list the pub as an Asset of Community Value was lodged with Pendle Council on January 5 by the parish council, stating that the Cross Gaits provided a local meeting point for the community, with social events and live entertainment which brought the people in the area together.

The pub was granted community value status on January 30, meaning the community had six months to decide what action to take going forward, which could include purchasing the pub from the brewery.

The lodging of the application seemed to suggest that any plans put forward by the community had been unsuccessful, and after development plans were lodged, people expressed anger, sadness and disappointment.

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph at the time, Mr Marshall and Mr Godwin said it would be a “massive shame” to lose the pub.

Mr Godwin said: “It’s a beautiful building and it does need a lot of work. There are issues with damp, it needs new window and better drainage.

“It needs someone who can keep it as a pub but has the money to make the relevant repairs.

“It would be a massive shame to see it change from a pub as it was a great spot in summer for the beer garden.

“The locals and regular eaters are lovely and we got to know a lot of people.”

Blacko resident, Richard Kenyon,said: "We as a family as well as our many friends, locals and visitors alike frequently visited the award-winning pub until it was unceremoniously closed in late December 2022.

"The Cross Gaits Inn has operated as a pub for nearly 300 years and as such should be allowed to continue to do so, given that there is significant interest within the local community to ensure that this happens if the necessary due planning process is followed.

"We hope that the momentum which is building against these applications amongst the local communities and visitors to Blacko alike, make the current owner think again about his plans for this pub, and return it to its rightful use as a vibrant community hub and heritage asset."

A planning statement submitted to Pendle Council stated that the developer wanted to, “restore The Cross Gaits Inn back to its original structure/ character”, with a “three-chamber floor plan previously opened up, reinstated”.

Mr Kay also lodged an application with the council for listed building consent and alterations to access.

However, dozens of objections were raised stating the building should be allowed to continue as a public house and losing it would be detrimental to the community.

Pendle Council considered the objections and decided to refuse the application, and also the application for listed building consent.

A decision report stated: “There is no clear and convincing justification for the proposed change of use of Cross Gaits Inn to become a dwelling.

“The loss of this community facility would be contrary to the Pendle Local Plan Core Strategy and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

“The loss of the ancillary extensions to the existing listed building to the rear would not necessarily reveal more of the original listed building and would result in less than substantial harm.

“No public benefits to weigh against this loss have been evidenced.

“The erection of the dwelling would mean that the car park would be lost for the customers of the public house.

“The loss of the car parking with the public house being the lawful use would lead to parking on the highway which would lead to a danger to road users.”

The refusal decision was made on October 9.