PLANS to convert The Tipputs Inn into a cafe, shop and bakery have formally been submitted to Stroud District Council.

A campaign to save the Horsley pub was launched a few months ago when news of the plans first came to light.

However since then the pub has closed its doors to the public and now a change of use application has been submitted by Ruskin Mill College, which wants to purchase the property and use it for vocational training.

Chris Stevens, chairman of the campaign group savetipputs, expressed his dissapointment that the pub has now been closed for business as it will make it harder to sell to interested landlords.

“Very little effort has been made to keep the pub viable in the last 18 to 24 months by the current owners therefore it is not suprising that trade has dropped off,” said Mr Stevens.

“It’s important for people to realise that if permission is granted then it won’t just mean a change of hands it will mean the end of the pub.”

TheTipputs has recently been registered as a Community Asset and members of savetipputs are still working to find an alternative offer so the property can remain as a pub.

“We are not fighting Ruskin Mill as a business and we recognise that it has done a lot of good in the community,” said Mr Stevens.

“However this pub is very important to a lot of people in Horsley and we would like to see it remain as it is and we hope SDC’s planning commitee will see its value for the community.”

Defending the plans, Nick Beardsley, from the Cotswold Food Club, who owns the pub, said: “We looked at the pub’s future possibilities, including maintaining the pub business, and a sale is the best long-term option for our community.

“Many former pubs have been developed for housing but Christophe and I are keen to see the Tipputs remain a positive asset for the community, and we believe a sale to Ruskin Mill will secure the building’s future.”