Coun Jack Dunn (Lab, Ardsley and Robin Hood) said he had seen the outline application made by Marston's Brewery to demolish the pub on Thorpe Lane and replace it with 13 houses.

Coun Dunn said that letters have been sent out to residents who live nearby in a bid to hear their views.

He said: "There may well be a mixture of objections.

"There will be those like myself who think there is enough development in this small area and more pressure will be put on local highways and subsequent junctions.

"As for the public house, it has had a chequered history and from bygone days it was always classed as the West Riding in terms of licensing hours as Leeds pubs closed at 10pm and the West Riding pubs at 10.30pm, so many people left the Middleton Arms and went to the Thorpe Hotel, which it was then called, for the last half-hour.

"The place was loved by a lot of people and more recently it's had a name change and become more of a family pub. It's really sad to see the proposals. I shall be supporting the residents views on the issue."