A petition to save The Solar Strand Hotel in Crosskeys has gained nearly 650 signatures in five days.

A planning application has been submitted to Caerphilly County Borough Council to demolish the former hotel off High Street and replace it with 11 homes.

However, a petition which has been set up to stop the demolition, has received 648 signatures at the time this story was published.

Sarah Hood, who launched the petition, said she hopes the plans to demolish the pub will be scrapped and it will return to being a community pub and hub.

Writing on the petition page she said: “This will be a great loss to the village and a huge part of its history will be gone.

“The Crosskeys is the last public house in Crosskeys (not including the rugby club) and opportunities for us as a community to attend social activities are now severely lacking.

“This will have an impact on the social cohesiveness of Crosskeys.”

When explaining their reasons for signing the petition, many residents cited the heritage of the town.

Jodie McEvoy said: “t’s important to retain our heritage. The community would benefit more from a community space. It would be irresponsible to place housing in this location.”

Lyndsay Evans said: “It should be a listed building and is integral to the history and culture of Crosskeys.

“Too many historical buildings have already gone and it should be protected and the name reverted back to the Crosskeys Hotel.”

Concerns over the history of the hotel were referenced in the pre-application consultation, alongside parking provision.

The outline planning permission is for 10 two-storey homes and one bungalow.

The outline planning application only deals with access, layout and landscaping; all other matters will be considered at a later date, subject to approval.

For more information on the petition visit obv.sr/sshptt