PUB campaigners have chalked up another victory in a long-running row over a historic drinking hole.

Earlier this year, Bradford Council planners approved controversial alterations to the Grade II listed Cock and Bottle in Barkerend Road.

Owner Aftab Ali, who wants to reopen the disused pub as a restaurant, had been given permission to install three new windows, as well as retrospective consent for the removal of a historic snug.

But angry members of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) took the matter to the High Court, where they have now successfully had this permission quashed. The council will also have to pay CAMRA's legal costs.

Dave Gamston, a member of CAMRA’s national pub heritage group, welcomed the ruling, saying it corrected "what was a truly shameful decision by Bradford's planners".

He said the Cock and Bottle had boasted one of the finest Victorian pub interiors in the whole of the UK.

But he said that for the pub itself, the ruling was "bitter-sweet" as elements of the interior had already been lost.

And CAMRA chairman Colin Valentine added: "This is a landmark case of national importance and is an important step in our fight for the protection of Britain’s few remaining heritage pubs."

It is the second time CAMRA has successfully applied to the High Court to have planning permission quashed at the site.

But this is unlikely to be the end of the matter.

A spokesman for Bradford Council said the application would now go back before Bradford's planning committee to be decided on once again.

He said: "Despite its valuable Victorian interior, repeated attempts to operate the Cock and Bottle public house as a going concern have failed.

"To prevent deterioration and dereliction of the empty building, the only realistic alternative is to allow its conversion into an alternative use, as no other proposals exist.

"The proposed restaurant conversion would have ensured the future of the building and create new employment opportunities in the area.

"The majority of the historic interior of the building remains and has not been torn out."

He said CAMRA's legal action had so far cost the council around £8,000.

Mr Ali declined to comment when contacted by the T&A yesterday.

He has previously said the snug wall had been removed for safety reasons and that the alterations were necessary to bring the building back into use as a restaurant.