The derelict White Horse pub in Epsom is at the centre of a planning row between the owner and the council.

Azhar Hashmi, who bought the pub in Dorking Road in 2014, has permission for refurbishment work but wants to change the conditions to allow longer opening hours.

The original planning permission, granted in August 2017, will let the pub operate between 8am and 11pm (Mr Hashmi plans to operate something closer to a coffee shop in the morning), but he wants that to be extended to between 6.30am and midnight - reflecting permission the building used to have.

He said: "It's not going to be a nightclub. We understand that it's a residential area. We think it's fair to adopt the hours the license had before."

But Epsom and Ewell Borough Council refused his latest application for not including a noise impact report, taking 29 weeks to do so.

Mr Hashmi said: "That's not how a council should operate. Now we have to put a new application in, when the planning officer could have asked us for the report at any point during the process - we were in contact with him directly."

The run-down boozer was originally bought to use as an office for Mr Hashmi's homecare business, but when he  opened two others instead he decided to try to revive the pub - thought to be the oldest in the town at 400 years old.

He said: "I thought 'let's give it a go and bring it up to date to run it as a pub again'.

"We are taking a big business risk with this - it's not an easy industry."

He plans to put more emphasis on food than drink when he opens the pub, suggesting the demand for more traditional drink-focussed pubs might be falling.

Kingston and Leatherhead Camra, which promotes the  role of pubs in society, was pleased to hear the building could become an active watering hole again.

Pub protection co-ordinator Chris Miller, who confirmed it was "probably" the  oldest pub in Epsom, said: "Certainly Camra's always in favour of people keeping or restoring pubs - a 'gastropub' is better than no pub at all.

"We hope the owner feels that he can put on an interesting range of real ales."

A council spokesman said: "The establishment has been closed for four years and currently does not have a premises licence to serve alcohol (the last licence was surrendered in November 2014).

"The application was via the planning process for an extension to operating hours past midnight in an area with residential properties nearby; it was therefore not unreasonable to refuse.

"There is a statutory timeframe within the planning process within which we have to operate. This application was dealt with within this period.

"Other planning applications for this business (eg. for an extension to the property) have been granted.

"The council strongly supports local businesses through a range of initiatives."