A village pub that has gone from strength to strength since reopening has been given permission to expand.

The George Hotel in Station Road, Cullingworth, had become so busy since reopening in 2011 that staff regularly had to turn customers away on weekends, and its landlords say it is the perfect example of why pubs are so important to village life.

Now its owners have been given permission to create a new garden room at the back of the pub, and convert the upstairs into five hotel rooms.

Landlord Chris Thompson hopes the first stage of the work will be completed in time for July, when thousands of people will descend on the area for the Tour de France.

Just a few years ago, the future of the 19th century pub looked bleak, as it lay empty. But Cullingworth resident and Old Spot Brewery owner Mr Thompson took over with his partner, Joanne Storton, in the hope of returning it to an important community hub.

The couple believe their success shows that despite pub closures becoming a regular thing in rural communities, the market is still there. They first came up with the idea of expanding a year ago.

Standing in a conservation area, the pub has been identified by Bradford Council as a key building in the village. But planning officers felt the expansion would not harm the appearance of the property.

The extension will expand the pub into the existing car park.

Mr Thompson said: “We’ve been so busy we need the space. At weekends, we’re having to turn people away. It has blown us away – it really exceeded our expectations.

“I would love for everything to be done in time for the Tour de France, but we don’t have the money to do it all at once. We’ll do the ground floor extension, which will probably start in January. That’s our main priority.”