Plans to bring a former Nelson pub back into use as a retail unit are being recommended for refusal by Pendle Council planning officers.
A report to the August meeting of the council’s Nelson Committee says that while the retail aspect of the development at the Hour Glass Hotel in Leeds Road does not require planning permission, parts of the proposed external alterations to the building do and are not acceptable.
Case officer Lee Greenwood says in a report to the meeting: “The intended works to the prominent first floor represent poor design and would have an adverse impact on the appearance of both the building and the locality.”
However, Mr Greenwood says that the concerns raised by officers could be overcome by the submission of amended plans.
The Hour Glass opened as a pub in 1963 when the Coldwell Inn lost its licence and has been closed for more than three years.
It is currently boarded up with a mixture of metal and wooden sheeting and is widely regarded as an eyesore on the main road between Nelson and Colne.