A CONTROVERSIAL plan to convert a village pub into a family home has taken a new turn.

Another plan to convert the School House pub at Marishes into a four-bedroom family home was turned down last week after Ryedale District Council’s planning committee was told that residents have made a bid for it to be listed as a community asset.

The committee was told that 100 residents had backed a plan to have the pub, which closed four years ago, registered under the Government’s Localism Act.

David Beal, chairman of the Marishes Parish Meeting, told councillors: “This is our only chance to retain the main focus of our lovely village and protect it for future generations. We believe the pub can be a viable business.”

A statement on behalf of the applicants said it had ceased trading in November 2009 due to rising overheads and decreasing custom.

A previous application to convert the one-time village school into two homes was rejected by a government planning inspector.

Mr Beal said the village hoped the pub could be saved by registering it as a community asset.

“We want it to remain a public house. All we want is the chance to buy it at a realistic price,” he said.

Gary Housden, the council’s planning manager, whose officers had recommended approval of the conversion, said: “The loss of a public house in a village is often emotional for many of the residents and closure of pubs is part of a continuing trend that is reflective of changes in society.”

He said that despite the objections, the scheme complied with national and local planning policies.

Anthony Winship, the council’s solicitor, said that registering School House as a community asset gave a right to bid for but not to buy the pub.

“There is no obligation on the vendor to accept the bid if it is considered too low,” he added.

One supporter of the scheme, Neil Baxter, told the committee that some residents did not oppose the conversion.

Coun Lindsay Burr (Lib Dem) said she was “disappointed” that the plan previously approved to convert the premises into a micro pub and family home had not succeeded.

“I thought a compromise had been reached because it would have been a win-win solution,” she said, In a statement on behalf of the applicants, Mark and Sarah Richardson, supporting the application given to councillors, it stated: “The School House Inn unfortunately ceased trading in 2009. As with many public houses, with ever rising overheads and decreasing custom, we were forced to sadly close the door.”

They added that there were only a small number of houses in Marishes and the hamlet did not benefit from public transport services.

“The public house is not located in an area renowned for its tourism potential and from any significant levels of passing trade,” the statement added.

It added that other nearby villages had a public house and that the conversion scheme had the potential to improve the character and appearance of the property. It had been fully marketed since it closed without success, the couple added.