A village pub that was losing thousands of pounds every year before it closed could be converted into a house following a new planning application.

The owner of the Shepherds Crook in Crowell, a village near Thame, wants to convert the establishment into a three-bedroom home with the men’s toilets turned into a home office and the bar and restaurant changed to a lounge and dining area.

The pub, which sits in a village of around 100 people, made a loss for at least five years until it closed in 2020.

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The business lost £30,714 in 2017, £20,578 in 2018, £5,767 in 2019, £27,756 in 2020 and £9,910 in 2021.

The owner said in the planning application: “The pub is remote from its potential clientele, difficult to get to (especially if you drink) and in its immediate vicinity there would only be approximately 70 adults most of whom do not use pubs.”

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They added: “Entertainment was provided but with a low uptake this tailed off.

“Other promoters are not interested in using the pub as a venue given its remoteness and with other venues available closer to the potential audience.”

Another reason they cited was the effect of the covid pandemic, as well as the difficulty of recruiting staff following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union in 2016.

The change of use planning application has been submitted by Chinnor Property to South Oxfordshire District Council and will be decided by July 11.