THE value of having a pub at the heart of village life has been officially recognised by members of Exmoor National Park Authority's planning committee.

Members narrowly voted against officers' advice and approved an application to make alterations to the listed Notley Arms in Monksilver after being told the changes were vital to the business's future viability.

Developer Colin Wilkins of Bishops Lydeard had applied for permission to remove some internal walls and the lower part of a Victorian staircase to make a larger bar and restaurant area.

But while Mr Wilkins argued the changes were needed to ensure the financial viability of the pub, the national park's historic buildings officer believed the proposals would cause significant harm to the fabric of the property.

Committee members accepted there was a need to conserve historic features in listed buildings, but in the case of the Notley, they felt the social and economic value of a thriving village pub outweighed the conservation issues.

The historic buildings officer had asked members to refuse permission for listed building consent to carry out the proposed alterations when they met on Tuesday.

In a report to the committee, the officer said: "I fully support the reopening of this public house but the harm to the significance of the listed building is not justified in the application.

"A more imaginative scheme incorporating, not discarding, the original elements of the building could surely be achieved here without compromising the commercial viability of the scheme."

The committee was told the Notley was grade two listed in 1984 but prior to that a number of internal walls were removed to form a large bar area, effectively turning three rooms into one.

Mr Wilkins wanted to remove much of what was left of the original internal walls and lower staircase to further open up the downstairs area of the pub.

Committee members noted the "significant changes" carried out inside the pub in the past and agreed the removal of the staircase to create additional floorspace would support the commercial viability of the venture.

In a report, officers had claimed Mr Wilkins had provided "little evidence" to justify why the staircase, in particular, had to be removed and described the application as a "difficult balance" between safeguarding the historic building and the need to provide Monksilver with a viable village pub.

Both parish councillors and residents supported Mr Wilkins' application and said the staircase should be removed if it ensured the success of the venture.

In a letter to the park authority on behalf of both the parish council and "virtually all residents in Monksilver and outlying villages", parish councillors said they could understand the dilemma facing the planning committee.

"We strongly feel that it would be a disastrous outcome for the village if this opportunity to reopen the pub and provide significant economic and social benefits were lost.

"The prospect of these buildings remaining empty and neglected for many years is an appalling prospect in the centre of this small, compact village.

"Monksilver seems to have lost its heart and soul over the past 15 months since the closure of the pub," the parish council said.