A FORMER post office, village shop and petrol station near Pickering are to be auctioned, with a £200,000 guide price.

The business in Snainton, on the A170, will go under the hammer at Pugh’s property auction on October 21.

Scarborough Borough Council approved plans to demolish the buildings and build three homes with parking on the site in June.

The third-of-an-acre site includes a post office and modern convenience store, along with a three-bedroom cottage and petrol forecourt. The business closed last year.

Pugh managing director Paul Thompson said: “Changing times have seen small independent food shops undergoing something of a renaissance in the last six months as more people opt to shop locally for their groceries, so there is certainly scope for the property to be resurrected as a successful business.

“However the site also benefits from planning permission that would enable a potential investor to demolish the current buildings and provide much-needed new housing for the village. Either scenario is positive for the local community and an excellent prospect for a buyer. Snainton is a beautiful village in one of the most visited parts of the country, with Scarborough and the North York Moors right on the doorstep.”

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March, Pugh has sold more than 190 lots totalling over £20m at its auctions, which have been held on the firm’s online platform.