How Kate Moss helped save my pub

Licensees who have fought off development plans have urged others to follow in their footsteps.

East London pubs the George Tavern and the Peacock both faced closure after developers submitted separate sets of plans to build flats nearby.

Pauline Forster, licensee of the George Tavern, enlisted the help of celebrities including Kate Moss and Sir Ian McKellen in her battle against the builders.

After a mass campaign Tower Hamlets Council turned down an application to build a block flats next door which would have destroyed the atmosphere and light at the music venue.

Pauline said although not every pub can rely on the support of A-listers they can fight hard to avoid being one of the 27 pubs that close every week.

She said: "We got a lot of people involved as soon as we found out about the plans and the level of support certainly helped because Tower Hamlets turned town the planning application.

"We also got legal support, we knew it would be difficult to take on a developer, but it was worth the fight."

The Peacock was facing demolition after a developer submitted plans to bulldoze it and build four flats in its place.

But after securing the signatures of 1,500 people on a petition to save the pub and media coverage (including in last week's Publican) the developer withdrew the plans.

Licensee Patsy Pyne said: "People said to us at the start that it isn't worth it and you can't win with developers, but you can't afford to be defeatist you have to try."

But Tony Payne, chief executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers' Associations, had a word of warning for licensees facing the threat of development.

"The first thing to do is seek specialist advice and to weigh up your interests. It is great that these people have had success but if it goes to an appeal it can get very expensive," he said.