PLANS have been lodged to convert a former village pub into a car sales showroom.

The plans for the Farmers Arms building in Darcy Lever, Bolton, include using the car park area as a car sales area.

Plans published by Bolton Council this week request a change of use from a private car park to the sale fo vehicles, the installation of boundary fencing and changing the use from pub and restaurant to a car showroom and office.

The application by Empire Motors states the existing number of car park spaces is 40 and suggests reducing the vehicle capacity for the site to 20.

The application says the site in Radcliffe Road would see eight full-time and 15 part-time workers at the site with opening hours 8am-8pm from Monday to Saturday.

A noise impact statement submitted with the plans by Miller Goodhall said that they carried out an assessment to show whether the sale of cars at the site would be detrimental to those living in properties next to the site on Lever Bridge Place.

The report said: “The assessment identified that the sales of cars would not be expected to be noisier or have more impact that the use of the car park of a pub and beer garden and therefore noise should not be a reason for refusal at planning.”

The pub, around 1,000 yards east of the A666, is set back from the road with its car park at the front.

Neighbours on Lever Bridge Place, Radcliffe Road, Sidford Close and Maze Street will be consulted about the plans with the time for submissions ending on December 7.

A decision on the change of use will then be made by planners at Bolton Council.