THE Wiltshire & Berkshire Canal Trust has applied for listed building consent that will allow it to bring a village pub back to life as a pub and community facility.

The organisation took over the Peterborough Arms at Dauntsey Lock to use as a headquarters during the restoration of the canal in Wiltshire and Swindon. Now it wants to improved the landlords quarters, create two guest bedrooms with en-suites and make other improvements, including an outdoor seating area, a fire regulations compliant staircase and smoking shelter.

A new accessible entrance, toilets and the replacement of a modern fire place with the original have already been agreed by Wiltshire Council and work is under way. As well as its own activities the trust has been running projects with groups including dementia sufferers from Lyneham and autistic students from Ridgeway School

In a design and access statement, agent Nigel Warren said: “The trust has seen wider unforeseen benefits to the wider community in the connections formed through these activities and the common purpose engendered by the project. For this reason the trust is developing the pub as a commercially viable community asset with appropriate social facilities such as the bar, food service, skittle alley and with B and B rooms to let.”

The pub was bought by the trust four years ago after brewers Wadworth tried and failed to win planning permission to convert it onto a house.