A council’s refusal of plans to convert a village pub into a residential home has been appealed.

The decision by Durham County Council to turn down the proposal for the Bridge Inn at Whorlton Bridge , near Barnard Castle, has been disputed by the building’s owner.

Ivan Carter-Becker, the applicant, said the Teesdale pub was unable to continue operating as a business, and he had been unable to find any new tenants to take on the lease.

But dozens of locals objected to the planning application, which was refused by a committee in July, said the pub is vital for the future of the village. Members of the Whorlton Community Benefit Society have raised over £200,000 in a bid to take over the pub .

Whorlton residents claimed the closure of the village’s suspension bridge in August 2019 ha

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