The owner of a village pub at the heart of its community has insisted scaling back the business is necessary to survive into the future.
Ross Hobson, who owns the Beresford Arms at Whalton near Morpeth, explained that the coronavirus pandemic and the cost of living crisis had severely impacted his business.
Mr Hobson had submitted plans to partly convert the pub to form three guest bedrooms, with the pub itself being retained on a smaller scale. On Monday, the application was put to members of the Castle Morpeth Local Area Council.
