Pub facing demolition wins CAMRA award

A pub has won an award for being one of the most improved in its area months after developer's shut it down for not making enough cash.

The Summer Cross pub, in Otley, West Yorkshire, won the Campaign For Real Ale award despite being closed in October.

Campaigners fighting to save the pub include Publican columnist and Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland.

He said: "This award is a powerful reminder of just how well the Summer Cross pub was doing as an excellent community pub serving the east of Otley."

The pub was closed in October by London-based property company Phase 7 and then sold on to West Yorkshire house builders Chartford Homes.

The company has submitted plans to demolish the pub and build 14 houses on the site.

Managing Director Chris Thompson and chairman Norman Stubbs attended the prize ceremony on January 25 but refused to collect the award.

Thompson told The Publican: "We just went down there to face the music and field questions about the plans - we did not know about the award.

"The previous owners closed it down and we just bought it as a closed pub."

Instead Save Our Summer Cross chairman Shirley Lewis picked up the award and hopes to one day see it hanging up in the pub.

"Seeing as Chartford Homes has refused to accept the award I therefore have collected it on their behalf in the hope that Summer Cross will be reopened as a public house, so it can be hung above the bar," she said.

Mulholland added: "I hope that having heard some of the wishes of the local community, which is to see the pub reopened, they (Chartford Homes) will now reconsider their planning application."

Another award winning pub is also due to get bulldozed. Councillors approved plan to demolish The Royal Oak in Walton, Cambridgeshire earlier this month. The real ale pub was due to receive a Gold Award from CAMRA in March.