Plans to convert a 17-century building which has been a pub for decades into a cafe and nail salon have been approved.

The Buck, a Grade II listed pub in the heart of Thorpe St Andrew, has been vacant since 2019.

Plans to revitalise the building have been approved by Broadland District Council (BDC), but councillors have raised fears it could set new businesses up to fail due to a lack of parking.

Black Orange Investments, a property management company, submitted an application to split the pub into separate units, with spaces for a cafe and retail or office space.

Options put forward as part of this include a nail salon, beauticians, massage therapist, hair salon and a golf simulator.

The developer has said a unit would be retained as a pub or wine bar.

At a planning committee meeting on Wednesday, Sue Lawn, a Thorpe St Andrew councillor, branded the scheme an “overdevelopment” in a conservation area.

“To grant permission for the additional small business units as proposed would be a disaster," she said.

“There will be five businesses on a site that was at full capacity when there was just the one.

“To increase the business units here would be setting these small businesses up to fail before they even get started.”

John Fisher, speaking on behalf of Thorpe St Andrew Town Council, argued the site does not have enough parking - just 15 spaces - which would lead to people parking on the street.

A BDC planning officer recommended the plans for approval. While she accepted there was limited parking available, which does not meet council policies, there was nothing that could be done on the site.

She added that there are a number of pubs in the area with larger floorspaces and beer gardens that overlook the River Yare which makes them more viable than The Buck.

John Ward, the chairman of the planning committee, said he was happy with the application, having watched the last three landlords struggle to make it viable, while saying that parking in the area cannot be made any worse by the plans.

The scheme was approved six for to three against.