LANDLORDS have warned a proposed Wetherspoon branch in Witney could be “another nail in the coffin” for some of the town’s best-loved pubs.

The cut-price pub chain has applied to open a pub in the former Palace nightclub, in Market Square, opening from 7am to midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and staying open until 1am on Friday and Saturday.

Alcohol would go on sale at 9am every day.

Rival publicans in the town said the arrival of Wetherspoon, which has sold beer for as little as 99p per pint, would threaten already struggling businesses.

Steve Thompson, the landlord of The Angel opposite the site, said: “None of us are over-enamoured at the thought of big-budget business moving in.

“Witney has got more than its fair share of pubs, and within 400 yards of where they are proposing to move, there are already seven pubs and two cafés.

“It is going to be another nail in the coffin for us.”

He added: “VAT has just driven everybody’s prices up again, and the breweries have increased their prices too.

“Talking to other licensees, everybody is finding it very difficult at the moment.”

Chamber of Commerce chairman, Lesley Semaine, who owns The Royal Oak, in High Street, said businesses and residents were also worried about the impact of a proposed beer garden outside the property.

She said: “Wetherspoon has a reputation of being cheap and cheerful, and has normally attracted not-the-best elements.

“Witney has an awful lot of licensed premises in the town, and if everyone loses a small proportion of business, the market is going to be even more saturated.

“It has not been an easy time for anybody, especially with the new VAT increase, and this will definitely affect some pubs and coffee shops.

“There are little independent businesses trying to make a living, but now somebody else will be offering cheap breakfasts and food on their doorstep.”

And Lynn Taylor, of Church Green Café, said she feared the proposed pub’s outdoor beer garden would change the area.

She said: “I am worried about the mess, and a lot of my customers who live on the Green say they will not be able to sit out in their gardens because of the expected noise.”

The pub chain has applied to convert the empty nightclub into a 946-square metre pub with a beer garden.

It has yet to complete the deal to purchase the building.

Spokesman, Eddie Gershon, said the firm’s £800,000 investment in the town would create 40 jobs.

He said: “Wetherspoon is keen to open a pub in Witney, and is at the early stages of negotiations for the former Palace nightclub.

“The building has been empty for 18 months, and we believe that people in the town will be keen for it to undergo a new lease of life and investment from a respected company, like Wetherspoon.”

He added: “Wetherspoon has enjoyed great success in Oxford and Bicester, and is keen to open pubs in other parts of Oxfordshire, including Witney.

“We believe that a Wetherspoon pub would bring even greater choice to people in the town and a pub which appeals to a cross-section of people.”

West Oxfordshire District Council is due to decide whether to grant planning permission by February 15.