PLANS to transform a disused Chester pub into luxury short stay accommodation have been given the green light.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has approved an application to turn the derelict City Arms in Chester Street, Saltney, into a guest house providing nine boutique serviced apartments.

Liverpool-based owners Trophy Homes, who purchased the property for an undisclosed sum last year, will rename it the City Hotel – under its Privé brand – offering short-term stays in Chester.

The development, which will create five part-time roles, is being designed by award-winning architects Studio RBA.

According to the Privé, each apartment will combine the 'luxury hotel ambience with the feel of a luxury home' to create the 'perfect middle ground'.

In a report recommending approval for the change of use application, the council states that the loss of the property as a pub would not 'undermine the vitality and viability of the local centre' due to the amount of time it has been closed and the fact visitors to the guest house are likely to use local shops.

The City Arms, which was previously run as a Punch Taverns pub, dates back to 1851 and used to refer to itself as the 'last (and first) pub in England' due to its proximity with the Welsh border.

A sign once hung outside with the phrases on each side.