New life for Market Drayton's Corbet Arms

A boarded-up north Shropshire coaching inn is set to reopen as a £500,000 hotel and restaurant complex with the creation of 20 jobs.

Developers have tabled plans to revamp the grade II listed Corbet Arms in High Street, Market Drayton.

Work to transform the 19th century inn is already well under way after it closed in April 2009.

New owner and developer Maroof Shah, who owns Costcutters on the Dalelands Estate and the Queen Street post office, has also applied for listed building consent.

Under the plans Mr Shah, who bought the site with his brother in a £200,000 deal last year, wants to create a gym and open a buffet res-taurant serving Asian food.

The hotel's 14 bedrooms and elegant ballroom with its sprung floorboards would also be refurbished.

Mr Shah said he wants to restore the landmark inn to "how it used to be" and see it full of people again.

A public consultation period on the plans ends on October 26.