Plans to turn centuries-old north Wales pub into specialist eye clinic

Alec Doyle – Local democracy reporter

An historic 200-year-old coach house in north Wales has been sold and could soon become a specialist eye clinic, if plans are approved.

Druid Inn in Pontblyddyn on the A451 Wrexham Road has been the subject of a number of sale attempts since its closure in 2020.

The latest known attempt to sell the property was at auction in 2024, but the lot was pulled at the last minute.

Clinic

Now new plans submitted to Flintshire County Council reveal that the site has been purchased by ophthalmologist Dr Sohraab Yadav.

He has registered plans to transform the interior of the Druid Inn into a state-of-the-art eye clinic.

Dr Yadav’s plans include creating two clinics on the ground floor, with a minor procedures room, a theatre for more complex procedures and a recovery room.

Upstairs on the first floor there will be office space and a staff room.

The plans do not include any changes to the exterior of the building, preserving the aesthetic familiar to travellers for centuries.

Jobs

According to Dr Yadav’s application: “The new clinic will provide both NHS and private services that will not only be of benefit to local patients but will also help bring many jobs and growth to the local area.”

The clinic will employ 22 people, 10 full-time.

If approved the clinic will be Dr Yadav’s first in Wales. He currently operates a network of specialist eye clinics in Chester, Shrewsbury, Knutsford, Northwich, Macclesfield and Wirral.