ALE enthusiasts claim the number of pub closures in Selby has changed the town’s drinking scene.

Members of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), have said the high numbers of pubs and bars in the town means drinkers are essentially spoiled for choice, which has led to several closing down, and owners looking to transform the buildings into flats or houses.

Last week, plans were submitted to convert the former Golden Lion in Millgate into flats and an office, while plans to convert the nearby Friendship Inn remain with the council after a recent suspected arson attack at the property.

When asked about plans to convert the Golden Lion into flats, Matthew Grant from the York branch of CAMRA told The Press: “The number of pubs in Selby may outweigh the current demand.”

Local resident, and fellow CAMRA member Terry French agreed, and said traditional pubs in the town were struggling.

Mr French said: “It’s sad that quite a few traditional pubs have closed or are struggling to survive.

“There may have been a decline in demand due to external and cultural factors involved like prices, shifts in behaviour and the smoking ban, but part of the problem I think has been that landlords and managers have gone for particular market segments and neglected the more mature drinker in favour of the youth markets, especially on a weekend.”

Mr French suggested the situation could be made more difficult for traditional pubs in the town, with the arrival of The Giant Bellflower, a new JD Wetherspoon pub at the former Everatt’s store in Gowthorpe, expected later this year.

But Janet Gray, who runs the Cricketers Arms in Gowthorpe with her husband Barry, said they were unconcerned by the current climate and trend for changes of use.

She said: “We aren’t worried at all. People will go to have a look at the Wetherspoon, but Sam Smith’s beer is an acquired taste.

“We don’t think Wetherspoons will affect us. The people we have, and the prices we have, they will go and have a look, but they’ll still keep coming back.”

John Loughton, who runs the Albion Vaults in The Crescent, said: “I think Wetherspoon has its own market. It will definitely hit pubs. Most customers come out because of the landlord, or the beer, and a new pub will attract some custom – they’ll still head back to their favourites. But it’ll be a fiver less they’re spending in ours, which we can ill afford.”