THE owners of a village pub have applied for planning permission to build a detached house on land to the south of the Cat and Bagpipes Inn, East Harlsey, neat Northallerton.

The plans have been submitted to Hambleton District Council.

The land is used as a garden area by the applicant and comprises predominantly of mown grass with outbuildings located close to eastern boundary.

The applicant said: "The Cat and Bagpipes is a long-established village pub that has played an important role in the community for many years.

"Unfortunately, like many pubs at the moment, it is struggling to survive. This is due to a combination of factors, which include the economic impact of the restrictions imposed by Covid-19, the general trend in village pubs closing, the loss of revenue from village cricket club, which now has licensed premises at its ground, and competition from within the village for social events, which might normally have been held at the pub.

"All of this has taken its toll on the pub, and as the financial statement provided by the applicant’s accountant demonstrates, the pub has been trading at a loss since 2017/18 which is unsustainable.

"Although a profit is shown in 2019/20, this is only as a result of the business receiving Covid relief funding from the council, otherwise it would have returned a loss in excess of £3,500.

"The returns for 2020/21 are not submitted, but it is expected to make a loss in excess of £7,000. This proposal is therefore needed to help the applicant find some cash to inject into the business to help keep the pub going."

The application has attracted 15 letters of both support and objection, with 11 in support and four objecting.

One objection, from Dr Catriona Lane, said: "The Cat and Bagpipes has not been an integral part of the village during my time living here (14 years). It is shabby and run down and there does not outwardly seemed to have been any effort to promote the pub to improve its customer base. The half dismantled and for sale cars on the frontage make it seem more junk yard than appealing to customers. There have been no adverts, no website, no special events and it is even unclear its opening times. Even when trying to sell the pub a few years back the only evidence that it was for sale was a handwritten board on the wall.

"I object to this application as I fear that building on a area of the site that could, if the desire was there, be an asset to it, would take away any remaining appeal for future owners.

"Building on the garden will further drop any appeal and I cannot see it being with the intent to boost the pub and retain a community facility, as efforts to do this thus far have been non-existent."

Nicholas Hill, from Stokesley, said: "As a long standing and regular Sunday Lunch customer with my wife, I am writing to fully support the planning application made by Mr Nash fora new build property to the side of The Cat and Bagpipes Inn at East Harlsey. "They have tried everything to keep the inn going as a viable concern, asset, and hub for the village community with very little support from it.

"It is the intention of Mr and Mrs Nash to remain in the village and retire into the new build in the future. By doing so they would hope to lease the inn in order to maintain it as a village asset."

Jen Robinson said: "I fully support this application. My family have been customers over the last 15 years and have seen a massive down turn on villagers supporting the pub."