Plans to convert a Whitwick pub into a smaller venue with six one-bedroom apartments have been submitted to North West Leicestershire District Council.

A report prepared for the council says the aim is to relaunch the Three Crowns in Market Place for the local community while, at the same time, making it a viable business.

At the same time, the proposal is to create properties for first time buyers that will be separate from the pub,

The venue currently has an upstairs function room and one apartment - with the planned extra living accommodation to be at the rear of the building.

A report in support of the plans has been prepared by Coalville-based Rosenthal Architectural Services and submitted to council officers.

It says: "The Three Crowns was sold / auctioned off by the brewery in 2020 due to it no longer being a viable profitable business.

"The Three Crowns is one of five Pubs within five to 7 minutes' walk radius which made it very expensive to run, we have been given to understand that the function room upstairs has not been used for many years, and with the pub in desperate need for modernisation and a complete refurbishment, the brewery was not prepared to invest any more money.

"This all contributed to the brewery selling up.

"Taking all the reasons onboard why the brewery sold the property and accepting that the pub is part of the local community we have looked at how the property can be converted while retaining part of the original pub to make sure this community facility is not lost, but can still be run as a viable business.

"My understanding is the licence has already been renewed so everything is already in place to open the doors to customers when ready.

"My Client is fully committed to investing in this property, this will be done by creating a smaller pub on the ground floor and 6 x 1 bedroom apartments to make the property more functionable and also to offer affordable 1 Bedroom accommodation in Whitwick which is not current available in the area.

"This accommodation will be attractive to all age groups.

"The pub will still retain the same entrance position, it still has the same basement for all the relevant storage and the beer pump system.

"There is also an office and we have retaining the existing ground floor toilet facilities accessed directly from the bar area.

"However, the Pub / Bar customers have no access to the private accommodation areas or to the private courtyard, this has been deliberately done to keep the two areas separate."