South Gloucestershire | Archive | 2005 | July | 29
From the Gazette, first published Friday 29th Jul 2005.
TIME has been called on a 145-year-old pub in Iron Acton despite a huge campaign to save the popular local.
The Rose and Crown public house, in the middle of the village, was a traditional watering hole frequented by many a fan of real ales and the relaxed atmosphere on offer.
However, licensee Alan Didcott closed the pub last November to noisy protests from villagers and drinkers who came from further afield to enjoy the pub.
Last week he won planning permission from South Gloucestershire Council to use the building, which has been a pub since 1680, for residential purposes - permanently.
Cllr Howard Gawler, who represents Iron Acton on the council, told the Gazette after the meeting: "It is sad. It is always sad to see something in the village close down. I am disappointed."
He added: "They did serve a nice pint in there and it was a real village pub. To my mind that is one where you can go and have a pint, play darts or join in cribbage and dominoes and that is what you could do at the Rose and Crown."
Iron Acton does have two other pubs - the White Hart and the Lamb Inn - but both concentrate on serving food and are not so popular as watering holes.
At a public meeting held three months ago, more than 100 people turned out in a united effort to save their local from closure.
The council's planning department has been inundated with 74 letters of objection to Mr Didcott's proposals, which were approved by the development control (east) committee at a meeting last Thursday - to change the use of the building to residential.
Campaigners have argued trade was deliberately run down by barring regulars, making people feel unwelcome, restricting opening hours and stopping food service.
They also pointed out that it is important to maintain village life and as the post office and other shops have already shut, the pub is the pinnacle of the community.
Assessing the proposals, however, planning officer Sarah Tucker said: "It is acknowledged that there is a strong feeling in the local and wider community about the loss of this pub.
"Anecdotal evidence regarding the landlord deliberately running down trade is not a planning issue and cannot be taken into account.
"Planning authorities play an important role in sustaining village communities but all applications have to be assessed by the relevant local plan policies and assessed on their own merits."
Mr Didcott told the Gazette this week: "It was the right thing to do. There were three pubs in the village and this was one was not being used enough."
He added: "I am not sure what we are going to do yet but we are not going to be running a bed and breakfast."
Mr Gawler said: "Now I don't go out - instead I stay at home and have a beer there."
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