PLANS to extend a pub and build a new shop will be debated next week.

The owners of the Queen's Head in Finghall, in lower Wensleydale, applied to Richmondshire District Council for permission to build a single-storey extension at the back of the pub which would include rooms to let.

The owners also want to expand the dining area and to build a three-bedroomed home next to the pub which would replace their cramped accommodation and create space for a village shop, which they would run. In a report to the council's environment and planning committee, on Tuesday, planning officers have highlighted the council's policies that suggest it should be encouraging projects which improve communities.

But people living near the pub say the new buildings would overlook their homes and could lead to more noise, disturbance and traffic.

Planning officers recommend the plan be approved with conditions to address the objections and design concerns raised by the council.