AMBITIOUS plans for a former pub and working men’s club in Wibsey will go before planning chiefs next week.

Former Bradford City Football Club chairman Mark Lawn and business partner Kelly Shaw initially submitted an application to merge the Market Tavern and Wibsey Sports and Social Club into a new bar called The Garden Shed.

When the application was submitted, Mr Lawn said the new bar would employ six to ten people full-time and 15 people part-time, and would “lift the area” to bring a new lease of life to Wibsey’s social scene.

While some supported the application, citing positive investment in the area and employment opportunities, others raised fears over noise and anti-social behaviour.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Mark Lawn with business partner Kelly Shaw. They want to merge the former Market Tavern pub and Wibsey Sports and Social Club to create a new bar called 'The Garden Shed'.
Mark Lawn and business partner Kelly Shaw

The single bar would have had opening hours of 8am until 3am seven days per week.

But a report to the Area Planning Appeal reveals the plans have been changed in response to concerns.

It says: “After concerns were raised regarding the potential for harm to neighbouring amenity, the scheme was amended so that both premises are to remain separate and within their existing use classes. The hours of opening are also to remain in line with the existing licensing requirements.”

This means the pub will close at midnight and the working men’s club will close at 2am.

Mr Lawn says it should draw people in from outside the area - and help footfall into the area.

He said the pub will transformed back into an “old-fashioned” pub with a Victoriana feel, but it will take longer to complete as work is required to make the building safe.

“It’s going to be Garden Shed Real Ale and Gin Bar,” he said. “We are going to specialise in real ales and try to just stay around the Bradford area, if we can source everything we need.”

The working men’s club will be transformed into the Garden Shed Club, with an area for cocktails and a function room.

The application, which only seeks permission for external alterations to the building, includes a new “glass feature entrance” to the pub.

It also proposes the existing entrance to the working men’s club be walled up and new bi-fold doors be installed.

Councillor David Green (Lab, Wibsey) said while he felt the the developer had listened to some of the concerns expressed, he was concerned public notification was not given for the changes. He said he raised this with planners, but was told they were not regarded as material changes to the application.

The recommendation is to grant planning permission.