Dereham's planned new JD Wetherspoon pub is unlikely to be open in time for the busy Christmas trading season.The national pub chain, known for its cheap-priced beer and food, purchased the old 20-bedroom Phoenix Hotel in Church Street in April this year and since then it has remained empty and boarded up.

Dereham's planned new JD Wetherspoon pub is unlikely to be open in time for the busy Christmas trading season.

The national pub chain, known for its cheap-priced beer and food, purchased the old 20-bedroom Phoenix Hotel in Church Street in April this year and since then it has remained empty and boarded up.

At the time of the purchase completion, the company said it was likely the premises would remain closed for several months while plans were drawn up for structural alterations.

The future of the hotel's 20 bedrooms had also not been decided.

JD Wetherspoon spokesman, Eddie Gershon, said there were no dates confirmed for when building work would start and therefore no dates when the new-look premises would be open to customers.

Mr Gershon revealed the scheme would be a large redevelopment spanning several months.

In many of its acquisitions of former hotels, Wetherspoon has created one large open-plan bar and a large kitchen on the ground floor of the building.

'The company cannot give any dates when building work is going to start and so there are no opening dates, but we are definitely going to open when the redevelopment work is completed,' said Mr Gershon.

In the meantime, the company has applied to Breckland Council for planning consent to install extraction and air conditioning units and cooling condenser units and an acoustic timber fence on the property's roof.

Dereham town councillors, concerned about potential noise issues for nearby residents, have called for an acoustic study before consent is granted.