NEW plans to turn the decaying Stage Post Pub in West Lavington into a shop have shocked convenience store owner Siva Raguparan who only bought his nearby Costcutters business in February.

Mr Raguparan, 45, who is known to everyone as Ragu, had no idea that owners of the 18th century pub had revived plans to open it as a supermarket.

He said: "It came as a complete shock to me. I knew there had been plans in the past for it to be a Budgens but I thought the site was now going to be used for houses and possibly the pub might re-open.

"I have taken the shop over through Costcutters and they did a planning investigation and nothing came up to do with new plans for a shop."

The latest plan has also taken West Lavington Parish Council by surprise as it has emerged that owners FPC (West Lavington) do not need planning permission to turn the pub into a shop.

In 2013 the company applied for permission to knock down the pub and turn it into a Budgens but this plan was later withdrawn.

Last year the firm was given permission to build four houses and also gained permission to demolish the function room and outbuildings at the pub and create a beer garden. In that plan, FPC seemed to suggest the pub, which closed five years ago, could be trading again.

But last week the company applied for permission to do minor changes to the roof of pub and the new shop plan became public.

Wiltshire council planning officer Morgan Jones said: "It is not necessary to get planning permission to turn a pub into a shop. This is within permitted rights. It was different previously as they wanted to knock the pub down."

Parish council chairman Sandra Gamble said: "We were all surprised by this and wanted to know why we hadn't been informed about the shop but then our clerk explained planning permission wasn't needed." The parish council will discuss the issue on June 4.

Mr Raguparan said he had big plans for his shop and hoped to re-introduce a Post Office. Previous owners Chris and Alison Drake started a petition against the previous shop plan and received huge community support.

Mr Raguparan, who is married with two children, said: "I hope the community will back me as well. I have already lowered prices and we are planning a major revamp. But if this other shop goes ahead I don't know what will happen."

There are also plans to turn the Drummer Boy in neighbouring Market Lavington into two three-bedroom homes and to build two homes at the back of the site.

Owners Marston say it has advertised the building for sale as a pub but has not found a buyer.

Neither FPC or its agents have returned calls from the Gazette.