Plans to turn a 500-year-old village pub into a nursery have sparked outrage among residents who say its loss to the community could “never be replaced”.

Fiona Murray-Young wants to change the Grade-II listed Swan Pub in Ley Hill into a nursery for children.

The nursery will look after 30-35 children attending full-time and around 15 children attending on a “session” basis – either mornings only, afternoons only or set days only.

But furious residents are worried it will cause traffic chaos in the village and result in “excessive” noise, and dozens of objections have been submitted to Chiltern District Council while a petition against the plans has reportedly garnered more than 300 signatures.

Resident Sally Peel wrote: “I am objecting to the loss of amenity. This pub is a viable and often busy pub which has been used by the community continuously for as long as I can remember.

“Indeed it has such a good reputation that many people travel out of their way especially to visit this particular pub.

“It is also a historical building, several centuries old. Its loss to the community as a pub could never be replaced and would spoil the heart of Ley Hill village as we all know and love it.

“The noise of children playing and shouting all day will impact local residents far more than any pub noise would do.

“There would be safety concerns regarding traffic, especially with regard to the increase in lorries and delivery vehicles using the local roads.

“Once this beautiful pub and its history is lost we cannot get it back, and the traditional look of the village will never be the same.”

Latimer and Ley Hill Parish Council said The Swan should stay as a facility for the local community, adding: “Until recently, it has been a thriving business and would have the support of the community to become once more.”

Landlord Nigel Byatt said the pub had been put up for sale more than two years ago and in that time, he has had “zero” interest and offers from anyone who wanted to keep it as a pub.

He said: “Because we have had no interest from anyone who wants to buy and run it as a pub, we have now had to consider an offer from someone who has submitted a change of use.

“We are right next door to The Crown and the two pubs have operated successfully together because The Crown is the community pub.

“It is the people’s local. We have always seen ourselves as a food-led pub and have attracted people from further afield. That’s how the two pubs have existed together.

“The locals are bemoaning the loss of a pub that they have never or barely used. Why they want to retain another pub in the village, and one they are barely using, is beyond me.”

Responding to the noise objections, Mr Byatt said: “The pub has a beer garden that winds around it. It’s a very noisy place when it’s full of customers.

“The garden has the potential for a huge amount of noise. The nursery will be closed at the weekends while a pub is normally open.

“The nursery will also be closed in the evenings while a pub is a thriving place for people in the evening during the summer.

“There is an argument that we can’t do a change of use on a pub because a nursery isn’t a community facility.

“A children’s nursery is classified as a community facility. It’s not a house that we’re trying to make a fast buck on.

“We are in our 60s and for personal reasons we have decided to move on. But we are not taking the pub away from the community.

“No-one has come forward to keep it as a pub. And I question whether it is sustainable as a pub at all, let alone a community pub.

“I am a publican and I hate to see the closure of pubs. But people have to be realistic.”

Addressing the traffic concerns, Ms Murray-Young wrote: “The staggered arrival/departure time of children and staff throughout the day will mean that it will be unlikely that at any given time, there would be any impact on local junction capacity.”