Controversial Trowbridge businessman Thomas Rothschild plans to turn around a rundown pub in the town after buying it from a national pub chain.

Mr Rothschild, who now lives in Sweden, bought the Rose and Crown in Stallard Street from pub chain Enterprise Inns.

He has submitted a planning application to Wiltshire Council to refurbish the pub and convert some old stables at the rear of the property into eight bed and breakfast rooms.

Mr Rothschild is a well-known businessman in the Trowbridge area, having built the famous Pumpkin’s Tower in Bythesea Road, named after his daughter, just around the corner from the Rose and Crown pub, which has distinctive pink outside walls.

He once planned to build a castle in a field in Heywood and invited travellers onto the land when he could not get permission to develop it.

Another of his plans was to turn an old public toilet block on the Town Bridge into an art gallery – which earned it the nickname of the Loo-vre.

He has built a number of properties in the area before gaining planning permission.

Clive Webb, Mr Rothschild’s planning agent, said: “He has submitted a planning application to Wiltshire Council to reopen the pub as a licensed premises. He’s going to hopefully rebuild the toilets at the rear and also a two-storey building at the rear to create eight letting bedrooms.

“He wants it to become a major public house again near The Gateway shopping centre, opposite the station and on the main road to Bath.”

He said the refurbishment would probably include repainting the exterior and tidying up its interior, and the plan was for it to serve both food and drinks.

l Wiltshire Council has granted planning permission for the refurbishment of another Trowbridge pub, The Stallards Inn.

The 200-year old Grade II listed pub was bought by Four County Inns in November and will re-open as a real ale house specialising in micro-brewers’ beers.

The company plans to change the interior and layout of the ground floor, put in toilets and roof lights and install a kitchen.