D-day looms over rural pub fight (From Free Press Series)

D-day looms over rural pub fight

LOCALS fighting to stop the change of use of their village pub will have a leading barrister to represent them at next week's public inquiry.

The owners of the Red Hart at Llanfapley, James and Jean Sharp have appealed against the refusal of Monmouthshire county planning committee to allow them to change the use of their premises into a residential property. The pub closed its doors in October 2002.

The Red Hart Supporters' Group was formed following the closure, and through various fund-raising events they have raised enough money to have Nicholas Cooke, QC representing them at the public inquiry which starts next Tuesday (Sept.7)

Their chairman Geoff Burrows said: "Around 40 concerned locals are expected to attend the public inquiry, which is scheduled to last two days.

"We have hired a Queen's Counsel to represent us and Jill Featherstone will be giving evidence on our behalf. Our fund-raising events have been very well supported to enable us to hire our own barrister."

He added: "The public inquiry has been a long time in coming, but we're hoping common sense will prevail. We see this very much as a watershed decision for other rural licensed premises in the Monmouthshire area.

"We are concerned that we do get the right result in view of the fact that tourism has gone over the £100million turnover in Monmouthshire for the first time.

"The county is 329 square miles and that means one third of a million pounds is spent for every square mile, and premises like the Red Hart should not be lost."

The Red Hart was the latest in a long list of rural pubs to close in the county, following the Hostry at Llantilio Crossenny, the King's Arms at Llanvetherine, the Halfway House at Talycoed and the Gockett Inn at Lydart.

And a change of use was given to the owners of the Charthouse at Gobion last year by the county planning committee, although it is still run as a restaurant and is currently doing a very good trade.

Objectors to the Red Hart's closure point out that pubs like the Clytha Arms and the Cripple Creek, both on the old Raglan Road, are still very busy.