A popular village pub which is due to close amid a dispute over hours has been advertised offering new landlord unrestricted opening.

The joint licensees of the Royal Oak on Meavy village green (Jo Rowe and her husband Lee) are giving up their tenancy early than contracted after running it for three years, over a dispute with Burrator Parish Council, the owners of the pub.

The council was also in disagreement with Jo’s predecessor (a previous long-term landlord) who left the pub over the same concerns. The issue of the village regularly being left without an open pub has been raised at council public meetings with concerned members of the public saying Jo ‘lost trust’ in the way the council managed her and suggested more of a ‘hands-off’ approach.

Jo requested unlimited freedom to open and close when she felt it was economically viable to do so. Instead, the council insisted on seven-days summer opening. However, Jo said certain days proved so low in custom, that it was costing her more in bills and wages than income.

However, Jo has been ‘shocked’ to see the pub’s new six-year lease advertised as ‘free of tie’, meaning no restrictions on standard trading hours.

The advert states ‘interested parties should note the new lease will not specify the opening hours.’ And adds: ‘Tenants will be free to decide their own opening hours, in accordance with the premises licence.’

The council is ‘willing to consider sensible proposals regarding initial rent concessions/discounts, whilst the business is being re-established’.

Jo, (who is leaving in mid-December with a pub farewell party), frequently asked the council for the freedom to open only on days when she felt it was viable. The council did make concessions (notably on winter opening and on initial rent), but was not flexible enough during the summer, when even country pubs were hit by rising costs and fewer customers (also hit by the cost of living).

Jo’s predecessor Stephen Earp is considering reapplying for the tenancy: “Frankly, I believe the parish council’s handling of the Oak has done considerable damage. Their lack of support and inflexibility were the reason I left after 17 years. Had they offered me the freedom they are now advertising, things could have been very different.

“The Oak was a fantastic proper pub, supported by loyal customers from far and wide. That support went well beyond the village, and I certainly didn’t feel it was matched by the parish council members.

“Now tenants are leaving again, despite the council appearing, from the outside, to have bent over backwards to accommodate them. It leaves me questioning why they couldn’t show that same willingness when I needed support.

“Giving tenants control over their opening hours suggests the council has finally recognised that its role should be to act as landlord and allow the operator to run the business. Their previous interference demonstrated very little understanding of the commercial realities of running a pub, particularly in the current economic climate.”

He said if he and his wife Dorinda applied for the tenancy, they would insist on ‘genuine freedom to run the business: “Without a repeat of the meddling that contributed to my departure.”