Pub homes plan goes before planners
The fate of a Bathwick pub which its owners want to develop for housing will be decided on Wednesday.
Residents have opposed an application to convert the Castle pub in Forester Avenue into two four-bedroom homes.
The scheme will be put before Bath and North East Somerset Council's development control committee on Wednesday with 49 objections received against the application.
The pub closed last year but an online petition has been launched by regulars to save the venue, which is owned by Amek Investment.
Cllr David Dixon (Lib Dem, Walcot) hopes the objections will be enough to save the pub.
He said: “A number of residents want to keep it as a pub and feel very strongly about it.
“There are pubs closing all the time at the moment and it is important to support our local pubs.”
Many objections stated the importance of the pub in the area and said it was a community orientated venue.
Others said that more houses were not needed in the area and that the permanent loss of the pub would be a further ‘erosion’ of the community.
Planning officials are, however, recommending the conversion can be approved.
5 Comments
by PW, Bath
Tuesday, March 17 2009, 12:18PM
“This is an example of knee jerk reaction - four new houses are probably not needed or desirable, but if a pub is not viable, the alternative is what exactly? A late night takeaway? A youth centre? Moneylenders? Pound shop? All of these are surely much worse?”
by 2B Frank, Planet Blog
Sunday, March 15 2009, 6:48PM
“Here on Planet Blog (very colourful) we don't suffer fools!
We know it's money that makes the world go round .... Not IF!”
by paul, combedown
Sunday, March 15 2009, 6:09PM
“Spot on 2B Frank .
It has never been used enough and people say you dont know what you have until it's gone !!!!”
by CG, bath
Sunday, March 15 2009, 4:13PM
“2B Frank-life sounds so simple in your black and white world!!”
by 2B Frank, Planet Blog
Saturday, March 14 2009, 6:25PM
“Money is the number one for any business and Amek
Investments is no different that hundreds of other investment companies. Investers want the best return on their cash. This pub wasn't giving it (due no doubt to the lack of punters) so it must go. Nobody likes to support 'dead wood'!”