FRESH hope has emerged for campaigners and pub regulars fighting to save their local from a supermarket giant.

A fortnight ago, the York branch of the Campaign for Real Ale and regulars from the Punch Bowl at the top of The Groves took their pleas for help to a meeting of City of York Council's cabinet.

They want the council to pass a planning order known as an Article 4 directive, which would prevent the pub being converted into a supermarket without planning permission. After discussions at the cabinet meeting, senior councillors decided to give the pub campaigners and planning officers two weeks to come up with a solution.

Now the campaigners say they are hopeful that after talks with planning officers, they could see the vital legal protection issued.

CAMRA's Nick Love said: "The cabinet gave us two weeks, but after talks with the planning officers we have realised it is going to take a little longer."

The matter could now go back to cabinet for a final decision - possibly at a meeting on Tuesday, November 4.

The campaigners hope to convince planning officials that an Article 4 directive could survive a legal challenge by Tesco - who are known to be looking at the site - so the officials can recommend that cabinet members issue the directive without risking costly court battles or compensation claims from the supermarket.

He added: "The planners have recognised there is a great will in the cabinet and across the political parties in council to help the pub."

Mr Love said the campaigners are also planning to apply for Asset of Community Value listing for the pub, which could help if the pub were to be sold but offers no protection in the current situation where the building could be leased by Tesco.

Mr Love said they had been looking at precedents from across the country, including Wandsworth where the council has placed a blanket Article 4 on all pubs in the borough.

He added: "I have had a significant talks with the deputy leader at Wandsworth, and will be speaking to the head planning officer."

After the September cabinet meeting, the decision was delegated to cabinet members Cllrs Dave Merrett and Dafydd Williams, but as the issue crosses over both planning and licensing matters it may have to be passed back to full cabinet for a final decision.