Homes in Victorian Yorkshire pub where Gogglebox's Jenny and Lee met approved to stop village 'dying'

Councillors approved plans to convert the disused Crown Inn, in the village of Paull, after deciding a risk of flooding was overstated.

Jenny Newby and Lee Riley, who have found fame on Gogglebox, met at the pub more than 20 years ago when Jenny was the landlord and Lee a regular customer.

Now, the ground floor is set to be converted into a space for a shop, while the first floor will become a flat.

A terrace of six houses is due to be built on disused land next door.

Plans were approved at a meeting of East Riding Council’s planning committee on Thursday.

The original Grade-II listed pub building, which dates to 1856, will be retained and its features restored, while later extensions will be demolished.

Houses in the new terrace will include living space on the first floor, in response to Environment Agency objections over a risk of flooding from the Humber, which is just a stone’s throw from the site.

David Ettridge, agent for the Grimsby-based developer behind the scheme, said the design was popular in the Holderness village, despite council conservation objections.

But Cllr Gary McMaster, who chairs the committee, said he was uncomfortable supporting plans for homes in a high-risk flood zone, despite defences being in place.

Mr Ettridge said the scheme would be something the people of Paull could be proud of.

“The scheme will sit well between the conservation area and the village hall. It will bring much-needed housing to Paull and flexible space in the pub,” he added.

Cllr Sue Steel, ward member for South West Holderness, said the new homes could help breathe new life into the village.

She added: “Paull is a historic village at risk of dying out because young people are forced to look elsewhere for accommodation.”

Cllr John Dennis, also of the ward, said it the development would bring retail back into a village which has seen the closure of two long-established shops.

He added: “Residents find it very difficult to access services, buses are almost non-existent. Flooding used to be a regular occurrence but that was in the 1960s, and the defences have now also been built.”