A disused boozer in Hornsey Road could be turned into flats if the owners get their way.

The Plough, on the corner of Tollington Park, has been empty since being sold off in 2013.

Plans to build a three-storey extension at the rear and convert the old pub into five flats were rejected by town hall planners in May.

But owner Place2Invest, a Grimsby firm, has returned with a modified proposal that Islington’s planners say should be approved.

“The revised proposal fully overcomes the issues raised in the refusal of [the previous] application,” a report states. “The development is well designed, it responds to its context, and has excellent sustainability credentials. It provides good quality, accessible housing accommodation and does not harm living conditions in nearby existing dwellings.”

None of the five flats will be affordable housing, however, because the owners say they don’t have the cash. So should plans be signed off, it will fly in the face of Islington’s tough stance that half of all homes that get planning permission should be affordable.