A popular restaurant could be converted back into a home.
The owners of The Spiced Pear at Hepworth have been given the go-ahead to restore the large premises to residential use.
But they have confirmed to the Examiner that they actually have no short term plans to close the business.
After award-winning chef Tim Bilton left the Sheffield Road restaurant in 2016 it began trading as a vintage tea room and wedding venue.
Owners of the premises, David and Maxine Walker, took on the day-to-day running of the tea room, but now want to retire.
Mrs Walker said the planning application had been part of a deal to try and sell the large property.
But she confirmed it had fallen through and the tea room would continue to open as normal for the forseeable future.
The property was put on the market last summer with an asking price of £695,000 but has so far failed to sell.
But if the right buyer comes along it could now become a home again.
The large building, part of which dates back 200 years, has been a restaurant or pub for most of the past few decades, including Crag Rats Brasserie and the Chase.
Its sales brochure says it turned over £375,000 net last year and there is potential to expand on its current opening hours to boost the business further.
It already has a three-bed apartment above the restaurant and dining rooms and the new planning permission would allow it to become a very large home.
