THE Bowling Green pub, in Otley, reopens on Tuesday, March 15, following a £1.5 million expansion project.

Otley Town Mayor, Councillor Sylvia Thomson, will officially open the pub, with a ribbon cutting ceremony, at 9am on the day.

The pub, in Bondgate, which originally opened as a Wetherspoon pub in July 2010, has been managed by Rebekah Black since May 2015.

A total of 40 new full- and part-time jobs have been created at the newly extended pub.

Existing staff, who were deployed to other local Wetherspoon pubs during the closure for the work, are returning for the reopening to complete the full team of 65 staff members.

The pub, which has been closed for five months, has undergone an expansion project, to the rear of the premises.

Wetherspoon has purchased the former Harry Travis agricultural store building, at the back of the pub, as well as utilising a small existing outdoor courtyard area, at the side of the building, to extend the indoor customer area to almost double its original size.

The existing large beer garden remains.

The bar area has been moved to the back of the pub and the kitchen area also extended, with new facilities added.

Pub manager Rebekah Black said: “Wetherspoon has spent £1.5 million on the pub, providing further investment into the town, as well as new jobs for local people. The new-look extended pub will also prove a great asset to the business.

“Myself and my team are looking forward to welcoming customers back into The Bowling Green and we are confident that they will be impressed by the new extension to the building.”