A bid to convert the ground floor of the Vaynol Arms pub at Pentir into two self-contained holiday lets has been rejected.

The application by Paul Roberts of Sylfaen Associates Ltd led to an online petition to save the pub, with the Pentir Action Group vowing to save the building for community use after owner Duncan Gilroy said running the business was not a “viable option”.

Planning officers recommended the application be refused. The committee agreed unanimously and rejected it with 14 votes against.

It was the third time plans to convert the pub had come before the committee. Two previous applications were also rejected for reasons of “lack of information to justify the loss of a community resource”.

Cllr Dafydd Meurig said “nothing in the report offers any justification or evidence to justify closing the pub”.

The head of the planning department considered it “appropriate” to be considered “due to the public interest”.

Public speaker Kevin Roberts described the loss of the popular pub as “a huge blow” to local residents and surrounding villages.

Planning officer Keira Sweenie said the community group “remained of the view that their proposals to run a business from the site were viable”, but noted “no evidence was presented”.