Regulars fight plans to turn local into housing

The regulars of a Yorkshire pub are fighting plans to turn their local into residential housing and intend to battle it out with the local council.

Martin Kelly has been drinking in the Druids Arms in Greetland Halifax for 10 years but says since his favourite local has been shut down he now has nowhere to go to enjoy a quiet pint.

Mr Kelly told The Publican: "The former licensees said there are six other pubs in a half-mile radius where people can choose to drink instead. This isn't true. Two of them are private clubs and only one is within a half-mile radius.

"And the reason why most locals don't want to drink in there is because it has a very young crowd - whereas the Druids Arms has a log fire and an older clientele."

And Mr Kelly isn't the only regular who is upset that he has been left with nowhere to drink. He says approximately 500 villagers are angry at the proposals to sell the premises for residential purposes.

Mike Harris, case officer at Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, said: "We will have to determine whether the pub is viable. We will look at the loss to the local community and see if their concerns are justified."

Former licensee of the pub Germaine Mallinson said: "If the 500 villagers who are protesting against the pub's closure actually came into the pub to drink we wouldn't be in this situation. The business wasn't financially viable so we decided to close. We did our best to make it work."