Campaigners vow to fight Co-op on pub carpark
The landlady of a popular pub with a carpark earmarked for a new supermarket says she will fight any proposal put forward.
The Old Courthouse pub in Kingswinford, Dudley, has been listed with several other pubs in the area as a potential site for a new Co-op by new owners New River Retail.
The company purchased more than 230 pubs from Marston's.
The store would be built in the pub's car park.
Landlady Coral Smith said she was approached by representatives from New River Retail and Marston's late last year.
"I am just the lease holder and the pub is owned by Marston's," Mrs Smith said. "They approached me and said they were considering the site and asked me not to contest it.
"I told them I was not happy and would fight the proposal.
"It will kill my business. It is totally unnecessary.
"On Sunday between 12pm and 7pm my car park is totally full, I need every one of those spaces.
"The work itself would be so disruptive and it would completely kill the pub."
Although no plans have yet been officially put forward, Mrs Smith said she will fight it. A petition in support of Mrs Smith has so far gathered 1,500 signatures.
Councillor Patrick Harley, who has supported the campaign, said he did not believe the proposals would make it through planning if they were to be put forward.
"The work required would not make it past planning," Councillor Harley said. "It would require the closure of the entrance to the pub which would be relocated to a dangerous stretch in the road, which in itself would stop a proposal getting through planning.
"I believe what New River Retail is doing is simply smart business, but it is not fair for them to worry licence holders like this.
"I think the amount of signatures received show that any proposals would be fought by the community."
A spokesman for New River Retail said as there was no formal application, they could not comment on the petition, but would inform the community if a proposal was put forward.
