STIRTON'S Tarn House country hotel is being sold to developers who hope to convert it into housing.

The demise of the restaurant and hotel business has been blamed on last year's foot and mouth crisis, with not enough people returning to support the venture after the disease abated.

The business will close in January.

Plans have been lodged with Craven District Council's planning department to turn the Victorian building into seven houses.

The imposing building, which is owned by Lindsay Ackroyd, was built in 1860 and is set in one-and-a-half acres of lawned gardens. It has six en-suite rooms, a bar with an open fire, a restaurant and function rooms.

This week, Tozer Rural Developments of Cawder Ghyll, Skipton, put in a full planning application to turn into housing. The firm is in the process of buying the building for an undisclosed amount.

Six of the planned houses would be in the main three-storey building with one additional stand-alone two-storey house. The plans show two, three and four bedroom dwellings with 22 car parking spaces.

The access road would not be altered and no new roads would be created on the site. Each property would have its own private garden.

Rod Tozer, manager of the development firm, said Tarn House was an "extremely attractive building that wanted handling with care".

He added that for about the last 10 years his firm had specialised in rural conversions and restoring rural properties.

Mr Tozer said the development would be sympathetic and have little impact on the exterior appearance of the building.

Drawings completed by John R Wharton Architects, of Carleton, state that the roof will remain as blue slate, and the existing walls will be re-pointed as necessary.

If the application is successful, Mr Tozer hopes to begin marketing the houses in May. Dacre, Son and Hartley will be handling the sales.

Mr Ackroyd said Tarn House had been run as a hotel for the past 30 years. He bought it 1980, but sold it in 1984.

After four new owners who could not turn the business into a success Mr Ackroyd bought it back in 1991.

He said the hotel was too small to survive on room bookings alone, and pre-foot and mouth was very much a community pub.

However, when the crisis struck, functions were cancelled and tourists went to the seaside. Even though a number of vets filled the rooms, it was still not enough to keep the business ticking over.

Mr Ackroyd said Tarn House was never going to be a big money maker. "Last year was the last straw. We have never had enough money being a free house."

He added that the Stirton population alone was too small to ensure the business's success, and it was only supported by a handful from the caravan park.