A landlord has expressed his frustration over the future of a threatened pub.
Rob Clay, temporary landlord of the Rising Sun in Golcar, says he has been left in “limbo” by planners.
Store giant Tesco has submitted two planning applications to convert the pub into a supermarket but no decision has yet been made by Kirklees Council.
Rob, 35, took on the running of the pub in February in a bid to halt the supermarket plan and revive it as a busy community hub.
But he says there is no point renovating the building or putting on events until a decision on its future is made.
Tesco submitted the planning applications last October following talks with the pub’s owner, Enterprise Inns.
This was several months before it posted a record £6.4bn pre-tax profit loss and pulled out of a major Kirklees Council deal to create a superstore on the old Huddersfield Sports Centre site.
Tesco has applied for a single storey side and rear extension and a general refurbishment of the existing premises.
Rob said: “I haven’t heard anything from anyone and it just means that I’m in a state of limbo while I wait to find out. This isn’t doing me or the community any favours.
“I want to take on the pub permanently and would like to renovate it but saving up for that is not something I’m able to do while its future is insecure.
“I’d also like to start hosting regular events here like quiz nights but there’s no point starting those up either because I wouldn’t want to disappoint people by ending them if planning permission is granted and Tesco goes ahead with the deal.
“It’s a shame because although the pub is doing well I would like to make it even better.”
Kirklees Council and Enterprise Inns said that no date had been set for the planning applications to be considered.
If the pub becomes a Tesco it would be just 100 yards from the Co-operative food store at Town End.
A spokesman for Tesco said: “We are going to wait for the outcome of the planning application.
“We will keep the public up to date with any developments.”
