A FORMER village pub has reopened as a tearoom after planning permission was approved to redevelop the pub into a private home in a knife-edge decision by councillors in 2020.

As previously reported a planning application was submitted to change The Mole in Monk Sherborne into a private home.

Almost 600 people signed a petition set up by former councillor Tristan Robinson to save the pub after council officers recommended approval of the controversial application.

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Writing on previously on Change.org, Mr Robinson said: "The Mole in Monk Sherborne is an incredibly valuable community asset, but in recent months it has been closed, and subject to an application for conversion into a private home.

"Unfortunately, the case officer will be recommending the application for approval so I am asking for your support to help overturn this decision at the development control committee on October 7.”

Basingstoke father Paul Buttivant signed a three-year lease with the owner, who said the planning application was a “kick in the teeth” but it has been a "labour of love restoring the pub".

He said: “Since then I have brought the property freehold off the owner in February 2021 and I have been refurbishing and remodelling it ever since.

“We have done a soft opening but we are still doing aspects of the development, but I have been doing it all myself.

“My daughter is the manager and we have kept it to a traditional family ownership, and we are not a pub, we have changed to a tearoom by day and a wine bar by night.”

He said they only use “local brewery ales” and everything is sourced from the surrounding area.

He added: “I am very much into developing community spirit, so it keeps small micro-businesses in business.

“It’s not a pub and I think that adds value to the location, which is the centre of the community.”

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Speaking of the pub's history, Paul said: “Years ago it was shut down and the owner started pushing for a planning application to change it into residential. The village residents had banners outside and protested to try and get the place to stay open and they did fight for a few years and a subsequent planning application was refused.”

He said despite planning permission being refused, in 2015 the pub opened but within six months there were issues with environmental health and it shut again in 2018.

The pub was boarded up and the new planning application was submitted to turn into a private home, which was approved by the council.

Paul said it is terrifying to open the business because he has “built everything in there from scratch” including upcycling materials.

He said it is a new beginning for him and the historic building.

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