A GWENT community's fight to save its local pub looks to have failed, after councillors agreed not to stop the Red Hart at Llanfapley calling last orders.

Licensees James and Jean Sharp closed the Red Hart last October - although objectors to the closure said they turned it into a house without Planning permission.

But Monmouthshire County Council will not take action as the bar, lounge and dining area are still intact, so trading could restart immediately if needed.

The planning committee discussed the allegations over the Red Hart and agreed not to consider enforcement action, but will review the matter next June.

The council's head of planning, George Ashworth, said the ward councillor, Brian Hood, had objected to the application. This meant it would now have to be considered by the county planning committee, probably at the end of September.

Planning committee chairman Councillor Gwyn Eburne said members shared concern about the viability of country pubs and other rural businesses, but planning permission was not needed to close a pub.

She added: "The council would be acting improperly if it tried to force the owner to re-open the pub, and had we agreed to an enforcement notice for the residential use of the pub to stop, all we would have achieved would be to make four generations of a family homeless."

James Sharp, owner of the Red Hart, said afterwards: "I am pleased that the council has confirmed our view we have done nothing illegal.

"The demise of the Red Hart was predicted in 1999 by the valuation High Court, and the Lands Tribunal in our appeal against our business rate taxation recognised the bad state of the rural pub industry."

* Giuseppe Scarpetta, the owner of the Charthouse at Gobion, on the Abergavenny-Usk road, has applied to change its use into a private dwelling. But Mr Scarpetta said the Charthouse will remain open for business. He is legally allowed to continue trading even if this was granted.