A PUB in Sherston that underwent a controversial renovation without planning permission, is opening its door once again on Friday.

Pete Brock, owner of the Carpenters Arms, has now sunk more than £70,000 into renovating what he described as an “eyesore” in the village.

The improvements to the building piqued the interest of Wiltshire Council after a complaint was made about its new external wall.

The wall, made of breathable insulation, covered a fading Cotswold stone frontage, however the building is situated in a conservation area and planning permission was not applied for.

Pete has since applied for retrospective planning permission – an appeal he is waiting to hear back from.

After what he described as “positive” talks with Wiltshire Council however, Pete is opening the doors of the pub, to give residents a look at the past three months of work.

“People from the village come in every day and everybody says it looks better,” he said.

“It’s hard to get any work done because people come in every minute of the day.

“Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but there is nobody that can go by and say it doesn’t look better. It looked like it was falling down before, now it looks nice.”

The Carpenters Arms will officially reopen for drinks at 6pm on Friday, July 1.