Harrogate Borough Council has approved plans to convert a former pub near Boroughbridge into flats, despite objections from local residents over the loss of a community asset.

Stonefield Developments applied to the council to convert the building in Lower Dunsforth, It was most recently a restaurant called The Hideaway Kitchen. Before that it was a pub called The Dunsforth.

The village is four miles from Boroughbridge.

The restaurant closed last year. Planning documents cite a “lack of customer trade and consequent viability issues” as the reason.

Now, proposals will see the ground floor of the former restaurant converted into two two-bedroom flats, along with car parking.

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The upper floor of the building already has three existing flats, so if approved the building would have six in total.

37 letters of objection

The decision comes despite objections from the local parish of Dunsforth, which said the conversion would “strip a community of a vital asset”.

Chris France, who submitted the objection to the council on behalf of the parish, added in his letter:

“The pub is the only secular amenity in the village so its removal would severely impact village life leaving nowhere for the above to take place.”

In addition, 37 letters of objection were submitted to the council pointing out that the former pub has been a community asset in the village for more than 100 years.

The move comes as other applications have been lodged to convert former working men’s and private members clubs into flats.

In January, a proposal was lodged to Harrogate Borough Council to convert the former Ripon City Club into a house.