A developer want to bulldoze The Vine pub in Oulton Road and replace it with 10 houses.
Internet Base Ltd from Fort Dunlop, Birmingham, has submitted a planning application with Stafford Borough Council to build the properties on the site of the Vine and land to the side at 104 Oulton Road.
In a ‘design and access statement’, the scheme architect states that the main reason for the development is to “create additional affordable properties in the town”.
It goes on to say that the new properties will not only be in character with existing properties on Oulton Road but will “enhance” them.
The developer wants to build a single one-bed property, seven two-bed and two three-bed houses. There will be 20 parking spaces and the architect states there is “adequate visitor parking on the roadside” in Oulton Road.
You can see the full planning application – and leave your comments – on the Stafford Borough Council planning website.
Ged Baker runs the pub with husband Richard. The pub and land were sold by the brewery to a private owner last year and the couple currently rent the pub from them.
Ged said: “We knew this would happen at some point. When they sold the land to a private owner, with no history of running pubs, you only had to use your common sense to see what they were going to do.”
Ged appealed to customers old and new to stick with the pub – which hosts Stone Jazz Club every Monday night – while its future is decided.
What do you think of the plans?
Are you a Vine regular? Do you want to see the pub saved???
13 comments
Whitebridge tiles
I would just like to apologise for the comments that i lleft about the vine, and to anyone who may have been offended by them, I should of thought about other peoples feelings before I opened my big trap. Iam especially sorry to the landlords of the vine, I had no idea you had managed to keep it going so long, so that just shows what I know. If I could take back what I said I would. Once again a million apologies.
Richard Stevens
The Vine is a good example of all that is wrong with the lincensed trade. When the Monopolies Commission made breweries sell of their estates of pubs, who bought them?. Answer – New companies now called pubcos, owned by – yes ex -brewery estates executives. So the pubco owns the pub and charges the landlord rent and ties the landlord to buying all stock through the pubco. Result? Licensees are paying uo to £30 more per barrel than a free house. And if the landlord’s wife (and it ususally is) tries to increase the income by súpplyong food, the pubco puts up the rent to reflect the increased turnover.
I don’t doubt that that social habits have changed and that fewer people go to their local for a few pints. And I’m sure that in times of austerity more people are tightening their belts. But I am in no doubt that pubcos are the biggest scourge of the traditional local. They are simply property owning companies buying and selling chunks of real estate – selling to make a profit or to cut their losses. None of them are interested in selling beer or maintaing a good local.
As long as pubcos exist in their present form, unregulated, good old pubs like the Vine will continue to be closed down and sold for development.
And Craig, you really should apologise to Ged and Richard who have done a magnificant job over the last few years against all the odds. It’s no fault of theirs that we’re at risk of losing the Vine.
Andy B
Hear, hear Richard. Having been a “victim” of these pub companies I fully appreciate your comments. The only thing I will disagree with is your analysis of the discounts independant publicans can get on their beer supplies outside the pubco’s supply conditions. When I was in the the trade (only a few years ago) it was more like £100 a barrel ( i.e.36 gallons). This directly affects the price the customer pays for a pint and thence the profitability to the landlord. No other industry rents a property to someone and then dictates to them where they must buy their stock ( including in some cases cleaning materials), unless it is a franchise for whom there are other benefits, eg Macdonalds, Subway etc. The whole pubco business is a flawed business model as witnessed in the fact that most of them carry multi-billion pound debts. Richard and Ged have done a great deal to turn around the fortunes of The Vine and it will be sad to see another local amenity, and a venue for quality live jazz go.
Richard Stevens
Andy B, I don’t think we are too far apart on my figures! My figures related to a ‘nine’ i.e a nine gallon barrel!
Andy B
Ha ha, RichardS.
The popular misconception that any size container of beer is a “barrel”. What you refer to is known as a firkin in the trade. Pedantic? Me?
ged baker
your right andy but its more like a 100 pounds on a 22 now lol
whitebridge tiles
This was my local for many years, and no landlord has ever made ago of the place, i think its to far out of the town for people to bother going there, its had its day knock it down, if the developers are reading this, get yourselves to whiebridge tiles if it goes ahead, ill sort you a good deal on all the tiles lol.
Andy B
What the point of this comment? Just because you no longer use the pub, it doesnt mean that nobody else does (and that goes for Craig aswell). If you have nothing to do wiith the Vine then I dont see why you feel the need to to make negative comments.
By the way, after the comments from Whitebridge Tiles, they will be the last place I will go when I need tiles. When I was in business there was an established protocol that you did not “diss” any other business out of common courtesy and also just in case your comments came back to bite you on the bum. Think on, whitebridge tiles you might just have alienated a potential 142 customers.
Richard Stevens
Well said, Andy. Judging by all the comments in the Vine last night, I don’t think any Jazz Club members will be buying tiles from Whitebridge Tiles in future! I certainly won’t set foot inside the place and I suspect that goes for many many people who have read this item.
ged baker
just remember when they knock it down it will mean my husband and i will be out of work we have worked hard for the last three and a half years to keep this pub open , lets hope you can keep whitebridge tiles afloat or you may be in the same boat
craig
oh dear this pub has been a sinking ship for years……it has had loads of landlords and has allways been on the ropes for years. sometime 4 landlords in a year!it will be missed by the few regulars that ferquent it on a saturday night only about 12 of them!and they will go to the pheasant,stick the bucket through it and get building!
ged baker
we have been running this pub for three and half years now and i assure you we have a lot more than twelve people using it , it might not be doing that well but it has always held its own so unless you no all the facts please butt out