A PUB which could not attract a new owner could be demolished to make way for a row of terraced houses.

A developer has applied for planning permission to knock down The Magnet in Osbaldwick Lane and build eight new homes on the land.

The planning application says the pub is currently empty and that no pub landlord or brewery was interested in buying the site when it went on the market.

The Magnet was built in the 1930s and the application by Moorside Developments says: “The reality is that the day of the corner beer pub is no longer.

“It must be remembered that the pub was built at a time when such facilities were in high demand. Drinking and the associated socialising was one of the few leisure pursuits available.

“Nowadays different attributes are called for as pubs are places for families which often include conservatory dining rooms, playrooms etc. Sites need to have a lot of space for all this and really need to be in attractive places. This site has neither the space or location to provide for this.”

As part of the plans, five homes would be built along Osbaldwick Lane and three would be built around the corner, where there is currently a rear car park.

The developer says the new homes would be aimed at young families and first-time buyers.

The planning application says the site was bought by developers in July 2018 and was owned by Enterprise Inns.

It adds that the pub saw a 24 per cent drop in turnover during the four years before it closed and that, in the “current economic climate”, pubs are closing all over the country.