Yahoo News Plymouth pub under threat as owner warns there's 'no magic wand'
A Plymouth pub owner has warned of the brutal reality of working in hospitality as he awaits a decision from planners over the future of his venue.
The Grenville pub in St Judes could be turned into flats as gutted locals back a petition demanding it be saved and not be turned into flats.
The pub’s owner, Andrew Cotterell, 67, bought The Grenville in 2017 and he said he’s invested about £500,000 in the building. He recently submitted a planning application to Plymouth City Council to change the ground floor from a pub into three flats.
Developer Andrew said he wanted the pub to work when tenants Keith Oliver and Simon Graham took it on, however, "times have been tough" in the years that have followed. Andrew said he bought the Grenville when it was closed and tried to breathe life into it.
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He said: “No-one budgeted for Covid, and the hospitality sector was particularly hard hit. Things started off well at The Grenville and we were hopeful it would get even better; however, it has not really recovered since Covid.
"My tenants have approached me wanting to get out of the lease as they only just make ends meet. Like many in hospitality, it’s hard work for little, if any, return. It’s a way of life and often it costs more than it makes. I didn’t take on the project for fun. I did it as a business move. I am not a charity and as much as I would like this to work as a pub I don’t have a magic wand.”
The 67-year-old pub owner said that he put the whole building on the market last year, but couldn’t sell it - even after dropping the price from £500,000 to £400,000. Andrew said no-one was interested in investing and he thinks “the problem was the pub”.
He said: “No one was interested in an investment which was mixed commercial and domestic especially if the commercial part was in hospitality. Converting the non-viable pub to three flats might resolve the matter even though it will cost a great deal more. Everyone needs a place to live but they can drink and socialise at home.”
However, locals that drink at The Grenville say it's the “heart of the community”. Locals say that together, they “pulled the business through Covid” and if the venue was to close staff would lose their jobs.
Stuart Knight has been a regular at The Grenville for 25 years. He said: “It’s my second home. I come to the pub nearly every day. I used to pop in on my way back from work, but now I work from home. I’ll be devastated if it closes, it’s such a community here and it’s certainly helped me as I’m working from home with the mental health aspect.
Andrew has suggested that locals could consider forming a group and buying The Grenville. He also said that people should visit the pub more frequently if they want it to remain part of the community.
He said: “There will likely be many more hospitality businesses disappearing, as surely people know how hard it has been for the sector. It’s only getting worse as the government constantly increases the minimum wage but doesn't pay for it. This just makes it harder to make ends meet and pubs even less viable.”
The planning application, which is currently out for public consultation, has been published on Plymouth City Council's website. Residents have until May 7 to submit a comment.
The petition, started by Tony Upton-Webb who works at The Grenville, has so far had 609 against the closure and redevelopment. Local people say a covenant on the public house, dating back to Lady Astor’s time, stipulates the premises "should remain a pub" - and they hope the petition will help to save the premises from development.
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