SUPERMARKET giant Tesco has pulled out of plans to take over a former York pub.

Instead the old Corner House in Burton Stone Lane in Clifton could be set to get a new lease of life as a social club as members of Burton Lane Working Men's Club will vote on Friday night on whether or not to leave their current home in Bootham Crescent.

The 600-member social club has a 118-year history and used to have premises in Burton Stone Lane.

York Press:

Burton Lane Working Mens Club on Bootham Crescent. From left: Assistant Secretary David Beavers, Secretary Mary Murphy and Steward Tony Franks. Picture: David Harrison.

The Press reported last year that Tesco wanted to convert the old pub, which is owned by Marston's Brewery, in to an Express store, but a spokesman for the supermarket said yesterday that plan has now been scrapped.

He said: "We have taken the decision not to progress proposals for a Tesco Express at this site and are discussing options with the landlord."

Steve Pryce, the Corner House's former pub landlord, who now runs a pub in Leeds, said he was glad to hear Tesco will not be moving in, but he would prefer to see it become a pub again.

York Press:

The old Corner House pub

Burton Lane club secretary, Mary Murphy, said: "The proposal up for discussion on Friday is to move the club in to The Corner House.

"The people that want to do the work for us are the same developers who redeveloped the Burnholme social club and the one at Holgate. The idea is that we would stay here until The Corner House has been completed and then we'd move over there and this building would be redeveloped.

"Friday's vote could go either way."

Mrs Murphy said more than a hundred people are expected to attend the meeting at the current club at 7.30pm. It is members only and anyone intending to vote must bring their current membership cards with them.

York Press:

>>> FLASHBACK: 20 lost in 20 years - pubs that closed in York from 1994 to 2014

The Press launched its Be Vocal For Your Local campaign in November.

It called on both City of York Council and the Government to make changes at their respective levels to give people a say on pubs in their area after three city pubs – The Punch Bowl, The Saddle Inn and The Corner House – were threatened with being converted into supermarkets.

Campaigners also wanted a change in the law, so pubs cannot be converted without planning permission and community consultation.

National planning law currently means pubs can be converted into a wide range of businesses, or demolished, without planning permission or community consultation.