Licensee faces pub demolition threat

A 64 year-old licensee has spoken of her shock after receiving a letter from her local council stating her pub could be demolished and replaced with houses.

Ann Griffiths of the Hunters Lodge in Silksworth, Sunderland, who still has five years on her lease, claims she had no idea the pub's owner, Marston's, had submitted the "outline" application for demolition.

"I've flogged myself to death to get things running in this pub and it's finally starting to be worth it - and now I've found out that my pub might be knocked down for housing," she said.

The planning application submitted by Marston's in March to Sunderland City Council states the company plans to demolish the pub to make way for seven houses.

Marston's application says the pub is "currently trading at a loss… and is likely to become vacant within the next year".

But Ann added: "The brewery (Marston's) didn't even notify me and there's been no communication between me and the company.

"I asked the area manager to come and see me but he said he has no idea what was going on."

Ann has functions and weddings booked all the way up to October and now can't reassure people of the plans for the pub.

"I've got customers going out of their minds because they've got no where else to go," she added.

The licensee has sent a 400-signature strong petition to the council in a bid to stop the plans.

"I'm always being told how good the pub is and bus loads of people come here, people even trekked through the snow in January when we got snowed in," she added.

A Marston's spokesman said: "Although the site does have potential for alternative use and add value to the estate, there are currently no plans to close or demolish the Hunters Lodge and redevelop the land.

"An application was made to see if there was scope, should a decision ever be taken, to redevelop the land.

"We will work closely with the licensee going forward and discuss immediately any updates on the outcome of the tentative application."