A FORMER NHS clinic could be turned into a specialist off-licence and tap room selling craft beer, ciders and small batch gins.

The business behind Durham’s Station House pub, in North Road, want to convert the former clinic in Framwellgate Moor, which closed last year because the North Durham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) decided to relocate its services elsewhere.

An application for the change of use has been submitted to Durham County Council by Susannah Mansfield, on behalf of Fram Ferment Ltd.

The company has been running the Station House, a specialist real ale and cider pub, for about three-and-a-half-years.

A letter to the council's planning department said: "Our core principles in life and business are around the quality of the product, the importance of community and informal community meeting spaces.

"Our new venture, which will be set up as a separate business, will none the less be building on our experience at The Station House."

It adds they will focus on off-licence sales and will have draught facilities to allow growler fills to take away and some on-site drinking. They say they will not sell brand mass-produced lagers or alcopops.

The letter adds: "We are local Durham residents with a proven track record of bringing high-quality products to a discerning local audience, in an atmosphere that promotes responsible drinking and community cohesion. We support other local businesses and charities wherever we can.

"We see an opportunity to expand what we can offer to the residents of Durham that will be of benefit both to Framwellgate Moor in terms of maintaining a vibrant local high street, and the wider Durham community who will have greater access to premium beers, ciders, gins etc that they may not be able to get elsewhere."

The CCG closed the clinic in 2018 because it said the building was under-utilised.