PRESS RELEASE
St Helier Pub Group
– 18.6.12
Campaigners secure
Public Hearing into the Morden Tavern planning
debacle on 1st August 2012
More than 1,100 local
residents in St Helier and Merton have written to the Planning Inspectorate, in
Bristol, to object to the Appeal by Reef Estates against Merton Council’s
planning committee’s decision in January to refuse planning consent. Reef's
intention is to convert the existing pub into retail units on the ground floor
-they have a track record with Tesco- and the upper floors into flats.
The St Helier Pub Group
(SHPG) has been well supported by The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) whose local
Pubs Preservation Officer and Planning Consultant Dale Ingram's advice and
guidance has been instrumental to the local supporters' resistance to the
planning application.
The Planning Inspectorate has
now decided that it will be dealt with by a public hearing in Merton, on 1st
August 2012. The Campaigners are asking for a big show of support to show the
strength of feeling within the community, which means coming to the Civic
Centre on the day at 9.30am. You do not need to speak (the Campaign group will
put up three speakers, including Dale) but of course you would be welcome
to. All local voices are most welcome.
Reef is a property developer
who plans to build shops and flats on the last of St Helier’s three historic
1930’s pubs. Support for SHPG, which has a business plan to buy back this
historic public house and run it as a community co-operative, has grown as
local residents have increasingly become aware of the questionable dealings
regarding the Morden Tavern affair and Merton Council who own the Freehold.
High profile political
figures such as Jenny Jones and Richard Tracey of the London Assembly have
previously called for a public inquiry along with local councillors, Richard
Tracey, David Dean, Iain Dysart and Mary-Jane Jeanes. Siobhain McDonagh MP and
St Helier councillor Dennis Pearce have supported the call for a public
hearing.
The SHPG are delighted by the
huge public support shown by local residents. This proves that St Helier not
only wants its own pub back, but also that if reopened as a community owned
cooperative its future success will be assured.
The Chair of
the SHPG David Smith
Dale Ingram,
Planning Consultant /CAMRA SW London Pubs Preservation Officer and SHPG
Twitter: @SaveMordenTav
Facebook: Campaign for Morden Tavern
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