WETHERSPOON has released the first artist’s impressions of its new pub in the old town hall in Wellington which is scheduled to open towards the end of July.

Work on the £2.3 million development started at the end of February and the pub chain has already released the official opening date - Thursday, July 19.

The pub will be called The Iron Duke, a name which was chosen last year by Wellington Weekly News readers. The pub is expected to employ 50 full and part-time staff.

The decision to open a pub by Wetherspoon will be a big boost to the town centre particularly as the King’s Arms opposite the old town hall building closed in January with no news as to whether it will even re-open again.

Previous landlords have struggled to make the King’s pay and it is difficult to see how the pub can ever re-open with Wetherspoon having announced its intention to be up and running by July.

The opening of Wetherspoon has been mostly welcomed by traders who feel it will attract more customers from outside the town.

The development of the old town hall will also involve the renovating and cleaning up of the outside of the building which had a tired look for a number of years.

It should also see the end of the pigeons which have blighted the area, particularly Cornhill, for a number of years.

Another big project in its latter stages is The Green Dragon in South Street, Wellington.

Work started on a big refit of the pub in December and the new owners, The Chapman Group, of Littlehampton, are re-opening the premises as a pub with en-suite rooms.

Some of the features of the pub, which closed last August, have been retained.

The pub is expected to open later this month.