THE APPLICANT behind plans to transform an old Flintshire village pub into a shop says he is doing so to 'provide a valuable addition' to the area.

Last month, the Leader reported that plans to transform the Hand Inn at Gwernaffield into a convenience store had been submitted to Flintshire council.

The Hand Inn at Gwernaffield has been an important part of the community for a number of years.

It has even acted as a village shop and coffee shop for its locals to pop into.

When it closed in 2018, there were fears that the village had lost its last pub forever.

However, it re-opened in March 2019 after refurbishment before closing again during the Covid-19 pandemic.

But now, the fresh application has been submitted to transform the former pub, located on Church Lane, into a shop.

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The form, submitted by applicant Arulshanthan Arulampalam, was registered on March 25.

It has been 'validated' and is 'awaiting allocation to case officer', according to Flintshire Council.

The applicant says they want to transform the pub into what could be a 'valuable addition' to the village once more.

In the application form, Mr Arulampalam said: "It was once the hub of the community. But due to a decline of the brewery business and the effects of people's behaviour since Covid the site is no longer in use as a public house, hence the reason it has closed for many years.

"So to rejuvenate the site and construct a much needed convenience store within the area is a project that would be greatly welcomed by the public and residents, providing a valuable addition to the neighbourhood."