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CAMRA - North Hampshire Branch This Page:           Campaigns - George's Bar Last Updated: 25th May 2004   AN UPDATE ON THE GEORGE WHAT IS NEXT?     If you saw last week's Basingstoke Observer you will hopefully have seen the article on the George and how those who care about the traditional British pub have been misled by the Council (see previous report). Also, Dave Dry's letter in the same issue nicely sums up the anger. The Council's claim that the handwritten application form was unclear does not hold water. With the planning application form was a very clear word-processed letter stating "We enclose on behalf of our client ASK Restaurants, an application seeking planning permission...." Even if the form were unclear, faced with such an accompanying letter any sensible person would have surely made further checks. As it was, all the notices went out with 'AVK Central' on them, denying to anyone knowledge of who the real applicant was. The Council holds the views of the public with such disregard that there was not even an apology, just a lame excuse. But the law as it presently stands is perhaps the worst aspect of this sorry affair. To change a pub into a resaurant - or vice versa - no 'change of use' is required as in planning terms they are the same. Hence the George can turn into a pizza parlour overnight without permission. Where is next? Will the Hop Leaf become a KFC, the Queens Arms a kebab house, the Hogshead a Starbucks? Or conversely will the town be overrun with late night drinking circuit pubs as the Bengal Brasserie, McDonalds and Rouge all turn into lager-swilling dens turning out yobbish behaviour on to the streets? It works both ways, so we may have allies where normally we would least expect them.     Putting the issue into some form of perspective I walked down Wote Street from the George and came across the closed T-Mobile phone shop. While a historic 500-year old pub, one of the few remaining in the town can be turned into an Italian pizza house without permission, the characterless lock up concrete mobile phone outlet does require permission to change into a bakers (it could just as well be a pizza joint application). Is a mobile phone shop of more importance than a historic pub? It is quite clear the planning law is in a mess, yet we continue to have to pay for a system that does not respect or even acknowledge the views of those who care about our towns and their historic heritage. I urge everyone to write to their MP and Councillors to request that separate use categories are introduced for pubs and restaurants. Now, before any more destruction occurs. John Buckley Chairman, North Hampshire CAMRA     Click here to read the previous article on George's Bar: May 16th 2004 Update Please let us have your comments: Write to Us.   << BACK TO CAMPAIGNS ^ BACK TO TOP ^

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