Former village pub to be turned into family home

A former pub at the centre of Wetwang which has stood empty for over a year is to be converted into a single house.

The Black Swan on Main Street closed 15 months ago, the victim of rising costs and falling custom.

Its former owner, Admiral Taverns, which runs 1,600 pubs across the country, had marketed the property for some months without attracting much interest from potential pub operators.

Now, the building has been bought by Beverley-based independent developers, Montgomery Holdings (Yorkshire) Limited, which has been given change of use planning approval by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

The company’s managing director, Monty Low, welcomed the council’s support.

“It’s always sad when a village pub is forced to close but this is very much a sign of the times as people’s eating out and drinking habits change.

“We are delighted to have been given the green light to go ahead with the transformation from pub to home. The building is in the Wetwang Conservation Area so creating a new home and avoiding the property falling into decay is good for the village streetscene.”

Mr Low said the transformation would require only minimal change to the property.

“Our plan is to create an attractive three-bedroom family home with off-road parking for up to four cars,” added Monty.