Murton Arms, Murton: Yorkshire village pub closed for eight years could be turned into cafe
A pub in a Yorkshire village, which has been shut for eight years, could be turned into a cafe and a flat under new plans.
Plans lodged with York Council would see the ground and first floors of the Murton Arms, in Moor Lane, Murton, converted to host a new business and residents.
Directions Planning Consultancy stated on behalf of applicants Mr and Mrs Armitage would provide a viable use for the building and a much-needed community facility.
Their application added there was no interest shown in taking the pub on and reopening it after it went on the market from November 2024 to December last year.
The pub, previously called The Bay Horse, is thought to have traded in the village under various names since 1805 in a building constructed in the late 1700s.
It first closed at the start of 2017 before reopening from August that year to the following January, when it closed after failing to attract enough customers to be viable.
A bid to turn its ground floor into an apartment was unsuccessful.
A planning inspector ruled it would result in the loss of a community facility following an appeal from its then owner.
The latest application lodged with the council follows the marketing of the pub by McBeath Property Consultancy.
They stated that the only interest shown in the building was from people looking to turn it into either a café or restaurant.
Plans stated the conversion would allow the building to go on serving the community in a similar way to how the pub had done.
They added a viable use needed to be found for the building to stop it from deteriorating further.
Parking would be provided using the existing 31 spaces and two disabled bays which previously served the pub.
Plans stated: “There are very few facilities within Murton to serve the community, there is no shop, library, post office, village hall or youth group.
“A café in this location would share the main characteristics of a local pub, offering a place in which to socialise.
“It would undoubtedly provide an equivalent community facility to be used predominantly by the local Murton community to meet their day-to-day needs.”
Coun Mark Warters, whose Osbaldwick and Derwent ward covers Murton, said he supported the application in light of difficulties facing the pub industry.
He added plans not to alter the layout of the ground floor meant it could potentially be used as a pub again in the future.