Pub chain JD Wetherspoon is calling on Hunts Post readers to name its forthcoming Huntingdon branch.

The company intends to make a £2.3million investment in the town and plans to build a pub and 22-bedroom hotel.

It is to renovate buildings which were once home to the post office, sorting office and The George Hall, just off the ring road in George Street.

The pub and the hotel are expected to create about 45 jobs.

A Huntingdonshire District Council spokesman said a decision on whether to grant planning permission for the pub was due ‘shortly’.

With high hopes of success, Wetherspoon has been considering what it could call its newest addition - with the help of our readers.

Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin said: “We take the names of our pubs very seriously and always aim to reflect the history or characters of an area in the pub name.

“We have undertaken research and have shortlisted names. We look forward to the readers of the Hunts Post choosing what they believe to be the most suitable name for the pub.”

We are asking readers to vote for their favourite name for the Huntingdon pub. Email your choice to competitions@huntspost.co.uk by the deadline of Wednesday, January 28, at 12noon.

The Harlequin

The George Hall was originally St John’s Chapel, which was built on the site of an old theatre. In the early 1800s performances lasted several hours, with lots of food and drink. The main play was followed by a pantomime, starring Harlequin the comedian and male lead in pursuit of Columbine - the daughter of Pantaloon - who was forever trying to keep the lovers apart.

Sandford House

The building next to the old chapel has the words ‘Post Office’ incised in the panel over the main doors. However, the former Post Office was originally a substantial private residence. Built in 1850, this Grade II-listed building was called Sandford House, where Charles Sandford Windover set up home with his wife and numerous children. Mr Windover was Mayor of Huntingdon in 1886.

George Hall

These landmark buildings face onto George Street and have stood empty for several years. George Hall was last in use as a furniture showroom. It was originally the Chapel of St John the Evangelist, built in 1845. It was known locally as Lady Sparrow’s church after the deeply religious woman who paid for it to be built. The chapel was deconsecrated in 1925 and its tower demolished.

The Postal Room

This option reflects the heritage of the building and its previous use.

The Sorting Office

The hotel will be based in the former sorting office building next to the pub, giving the inspiration for this name.

The Mail Room

This choice also refers to its former links to the Post Office.

Wetherspoon says it expects to submit plans to Huntingdonshire District Council for its proposed St Ives pub in the next four to six weeks.

The company has bought the former Warehouse Clearance store in Market Hill as part of a £1.3million project.

It is yet to make an application for a licence, which will need to be agreed by HDC’s licensing committee before the pub could open.

Despite not being at such an advanced stage in the planning process as it is in Huntingdon, the firm has already come up with potential names for its proposed St Ives branch.

They include The Cabinet Maker, a reference to Joseph Radford, an apprentice cabinet maker who lived nearby in the 1880s, and The Golden Oak, the name of furniture said to have been popular during the 1800s.

Others are The Bishop Ivo, after the skeleton found near the river, thought to be that of the Bishop, and The Charter Fair, a nod to the St Ives Fair held on Broadway and Market Hill.

What do you think of the names proposed by Wetherspoon? Send your views to editor@huntspost.co.uk.