AN INVESTMENT of £500,000 has been ploughed into re-opening a former traditional pub in Bingley town centre.

The Potting Shed Bar and Gardens opens this month after a major refurbishment of what was the Fleece in Main Street.

A landscaped area has been created at the back complete with heated garden sheds from where customers can order food and drinks using special phone apps.

Self-service beer taps will also be a new experience in the town, said manager Nick Merrick.

"Almost everything has been reclaimed and upcycled - the fantastic old timber which lines the walls is actually the old floorboards and the wood-fired pizza oven in the open-plan kitchen is made from stone found during clearing the garden," said Mr Merrick, 27, who formerly ran Brown's bar and restaurant in central Leeds.

"We are creating a unique effect which will give the whole pub an outdoors feel a bit like a giant shed.

"For example the ceiling will be covered with willow trellises and the huge patio windows will lead straight out to the garden."

A team of 30 workmen are still finishing the refurbishment, which Mr Merrick said would bring the highest "metropolitan" quality to Bingley.

He said: "There will be no compromises on anything. All the food will be made here with local ingredients and not a freezer in the kitchen.

"We will have live music on our stage area and it really will be a premium offer with bespoke wines, real ales - really bringing a bit of the city to Bingley."

And that means using the latest technology alongside the roaring open fire and garden sheds.

"There will be waiter service to the sheds, but also people can order using a special phone app," Mr Merrick said.

"And upstairs we will have two pool tables and 52ins TVs and there will be self-service beer pumps which people can use after charging up a special credit key."

The project has been backed by investors including Alex Hazzard, managing director of the Burning Night group which runs the Bier Keller in Leeds among other venues.

"No-one has paid proper attention to places like Bingley and so we are really investing in making something special that local people can call their own," he said.

"It's a very exciting project, very different and we're sure it will be a huge success when it opens on March 12."

Another backer is Andy Longman, a founder of the Suburban Style Bar chain.

"This is a long-term investment, which is the only way for the trade to succeed these days.

"It's going to be an amazing place and those who knew the old run-down pub will be totally blown away," Mr Longman said.