PLANS have been submitted to turn a recently redecorated pub into five apartments – despite a new manager taking over the lease about six weeks ago.

Bradford Council received an application to extend the ground floor of the the New Vic in Livingstone Road, Bolton Woods, on February 2.

The documents show plans to convert the lounge bar and storeroom into five one-bedroom flats. The application says the building already has approval for the top floor to be converted to apartments and says: “We now wish to include the ground floor element as apartments as the public house is not seen a a viable business going forward.”

But the new manager, 29-year-old Aaron Foster, said he had taken on a three-year lease for the business and insisted it would stay as a pub.

He said: “I was told they put the application in in case the pub doesn’t pay off and it was put in before I even took it on.

“It’s still going to be a pub for as long as I’m in it.

“There are going to be flats above it but it will be at least six months until they are done.

“They are hoping that in the future the pub will do food as well.”

Mr Foster, who previously worked as a plasterer and also in rendering, said the site was empty for several months before he took over with the hope of bringing the pub back to life.

He added that members of the community had already helped him to decorate the pub.

He said: “It’s getting busier. The atmosphere is great. It would be a loss to the community if it became flats. I’m thinking about signing a longer lease.

“It’s the community’s pub, not just mine – it’s everybody’s.”

The planning documents, submitted by Nasreen Karim, include proposals for five apartments on the ground floor, five on the first floor and two on the second floor.

The application says: “External alterations are to be kept to a minimum, with any additions to be in-keeping with the existing building, both in terms of style, materials and scale.

“There is limited car parking on site, with two spaces being available to the side of the property. There is, however, ample on-street car parking within the immediate vicinity.”

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In April 2016 the council granted planning permission for seven flats in the upper floors of the building and for the ground floor to be extended to become a kitchen and covered dining area for the pub.

A new housing development is also being built near the site and the first phase, of 280 homes, is under construction.

The applicant was approached for comment.