Plans lodged with Wirral Borough Council by pub chain Wetherspoon reveal how the site at 1-5 The Mount formerly occupied by the abandoned Exchange venue will be transformed.

In a nutshell, a single storey side and rear extension will be added to the existing premises. The proposal also includes internal alterations and additional beer garden areas.

Originally mooted in the middle of last year, the scheme was put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that remains the case, although the application for planning and one for a license will continue.

The old Exchange has fallen into disrepair, and a large, boarded up window adds little to the immediate area.

For Wetherspoon the new pub represents a potential two million pound investment, and the company says it will create 50 jobs. The new design was drawn up by Manchester firm, Just H Architects.

Extending the property will increase internal space from 650 square metres to 900 and thus make greater use of the available land. This includes room for a large kitchen which assumes high demand for the Wetherspoon food offer.

Other proposals to make the building easier on the eye include seating beneath a timber canopy, site-wide paving, and raised flower beds.

The Wetherspoon application states that it aims to be open between 8am and midnight Monday to Friday; 8am to 1am on Saturday; and 8am to midnight on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Some anxieties about parking and noise have been expressed, but planning documentation says the site is in a town centre and the nearest residential property is 30 metres distant.

When asked, "Why Heswall?" a spokesperson for Wetherspoon said: "We've enjoyed great success with pubs in the region and are always keen to open in areas where Wetherspoon is currently not located.

"The hospitality industry is the heartbeat of society. People enjoy going to pubs and will continue to do so once life gets back to normal."

That can't come soon enough for 'Spoons' boss, Tim Martin, who has placed himself right in the public eye as both an enthusiastic Brexiteer and fierce critic of the government's lockdown policies and their effect on the hospitality trade.