A PLANNING application has been submitted for houses to be built alongside a village pub.

Hawthorn Leisure wants to renovate The Green Man, on The Street, Gosfield.

Plans include the part conversion of the public house and a detached barn to form two three bedroom dwellings.

The car park and the beer garden of the property will also be reconfigured if the work gets the go ahead to maintain both at the property.

Two bike rack spaces will be installed and a disabled parking space will be added.

In total 23.1sq meters of floor space will be lost inside the pub to provide room for the adjoined houses.

Hawthorn Leisure owns more than 350 pubs throughout the UK.

Braintree Council has the final say on the application.

A Hawthorn Leisure statement said: "To safeguard The Green Man’s long term future, Hawthorn Leisure are looking to invest in the pub, returning it to its original size and traditional feel. 

"The funding will be enabled by the sale of surplus land: a pair of cottages  incorporated into the pub at some point in the past will revert back to residential use and an out building will be converted into a detached 3-bed house.

"The original public house will remain whilst providing a new car park and better-located beer garden at the rear.

"The only element of demolition will be a modern toilet block at the rear of the pub."