Inn facing closure

10:12am Wednesday 14th May 2008

ALL those who oppose the Dodford Inn being converted into a dwelling are being urged to attend the next planning meeting to demonstrate their feelings.

The plans are up for debate on Monday, May 19, at Bromsgrove District Council House, and despite strong village opposition, planning officers are recommending that they be approved.

There is also another set of plans from developers being considered which is to convert the pub into a house and build a new pub nearby, but officers are recommending that they be turned down.

Spokesman for the Save the Dodford Inn campaign group, Stephen Bowden said: "A similar situation for converting the pub into a house occurred last time and the planning committee overturned the recommendation 17 votes to nil. It really is difficult to understand what is going on considering the level of objection, the plan to continue running the premises as a pub by village residents and lastly the various planning guidelines that are in place to prevent the loss of a vital village amenity.

We need as many people as possible to attend the planning meeting on the 19th of this month to demonstrate our feeling and we hope to achieve a similar result as last time."

About 90 residents turned up to an exhibition in the village hall recently, arranged by GRS Pubs Limited to allow neighbours to view the plans, but villagers remained very much against any scheme which results in the loss of their pub. They say it was viable before it closed more than a year ago, and would continue to be so if it was reopened again. CAMRA, the campaigning group for real ale, is also supporting the villagers.

EDITORS CHOICE