The boss of an East Anglian pub group has stepped in to dispel rumours surrounding his Bury St Edmunds establishment closing.
Philip Turner is the founder of The Chestnut Group, which has 16 pubs across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.
On social media, it was suggested that a planning application had been presented to turn The Northgate in Bury St Edmunds into flats.
In response to the rumour, Mr Turner said: "That's factually incorrect. No planning application has been submitted and we're not closing yet."
Mr Turner added that he had engaged in a "private exchange" in the pre-application stage with West Suffolk Council, but had not yet submitted a formal application to the planning authority.
However, though The Northgate is not currently closing, Mr Turner said the rumours have prompted an influx of cancellations.
"Particularly in the current climate with utility bills, we're considering our asset management," he said.
"But the cancellations prompted by the idea that we're closing has made that worse, despite the fact that no formal submission has been made."
A representative of West Suffolk Council confirmed that their planning authority had not received an application in relation to The Northgate.
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