Residents fight to get ‘notorious’ pub’s licence revoked

The Half Moon – currently owned by Hawthorn Leisure – was closed by its manager in November following an alleged burglary in which the pub takings were stolen.

The manager vacated the premises at that point and the pub has remained closed since then.

However, residents of Whipton Village Road had asked Exeter City Council to undertake a review of the premises licence with aim of keeping it shut.

Seriously deteriorated ​

Explaining the grounds for the review, a local resident told Devon Live​: “We all agree that the pub should not reopen. It has been notorious over the years but has seriously deteriorated in the past five years or so with many neighbours making regular calls to the police.

“The types of behaviour witnessed on regular occasions include drug dealing, drug taking, large- and small-scale fighting, excessive noise, damage to properties, fighting happening quite literally on our doorsteps, people urinating in not-so-secluded places, and intimidating behaviour from people and their pet dogs.

“While there are the regulars who will always love this establishment, it is well documented through experience or people calls just how much trouble this pub attracts.”

Reassuring the residents ​

A council review hearing as required by the Licensing Act 2003 will take place on Friday 10 January, which will in turn, determine the pub’s future.

A spokesperson for Hawthorn Leisure said: “We operate more than 700 community pubs, and we want them all to be a hub for the communities they serve, so we’re always happy to work alongside our neighbours and the authorities to address any concerns.

“We’d like to reassure the residents of Whipton Village that we’re looking to bring in a new partner who knows the area, is familiar with the Half Moon, and can work with them to ensure that the pub can, once again, play a positive role in the community.”