A planning application to convert The British Queen on Huddersfield Road into a single dwelling will go before a planning panel on Wednesday, and officers have suggested the work be approved.

The pub has been empty for almost 12 months, and the application was submitted by Jabran Hussain earlier this year.

The pub was recently included in a call by the local branch of CAMRA to save Bradford’s heritage pubs.

Members urged the Council to refuse any plans to convert buildings such as the British Queen into other uses in the hope they could once again re-open as a pub in the future.

A report going before Wednesday’s committee says two people have objected to the plans, arguing the pub had historic features that would not survive the conversion, and describing it as “an important building serving the local community”.

One said: “The number of public houses is diminishing, and this here could be run as a viable business.”

However, planning officers have pointed out that there is another pub, The Drop Kick, directly opposite The British Queen.

Referring for calls for the pub to be retained, officers say: “Although the loss of this public house is unfortunate and could be viewed as a loss of a community asset, it is a building in private ownership and appears to have been vacant for some period of time.

“Although there is suggestion from objectors that the public house could be run as a viable business, it has been closed for some time which is likely to be in part due to market forces that are outside of planning control.

“It is detached from the shopping parade opposite which hosts another public house within a close proximity, and there is no indication that the repurposing of this vacant building to a residential use will reduce the number of public houses in this location to an unacceptable level.

“The reduced competition on the public house opposite is likely to be positive for its viability, and the repurposing of a vacant public house is not considered to have an adverse impact on social cohesion.”

Referring to the concerns over the pub’s period features being lost, officers point out the pub is not listed, adding: “The property is not statutorily protected and so internal works cannot be controlled by the Local Planning Authority, whether it is in a residential use or one of a public house.”

The planning panel meets at 10am in City Hall on Wednesday.

Plans to turn long-standing Bradford pub into house given green light despite opposition