Villagers plan protest to save Holbeach St Johns pub

Villagers fear they will lose the heart of their community if plans to convert their only pub into housing are approved.

People living in Holbeach St Johns will be protesting on Thursday evening to save The Plough Inn after a change of use planning

application has been submitted.

Villagers say they have lost their shop and petrol station and now only the pub remains.

They say the pub is vital to their village as it provides a hub for the community - along with supporting good causes such as the village hall.

However, owner Ian Osborn said that the building needs a new roof and he is looking at other options.

Karen Frost, who lives close to the pub, said: “We just don’t think it’s very fair. It’s the heart of our community – it has been a pub for 200 years

“We are probably wasting our time because if he doesn’t want to run it as a pub, well, who is going to make him?

“He should sell it as a business and give somebody else the opportunity.”

Former landlady of The Plough, Tabitha Morris, said it was a good business and ran a takeaway service during the first lockdown.

She said: “It is heartbreaking that someone can profit off something that is integral to the village.

“If you buy a pub, you don’t make a fortune. It is a calling. It provides a roof over your head and it is a fantastic place to raise funds locally.”

Village Hall committee chairman Robert Frost said: “The pub has been here for 200 years and is the hub of our community.”

Kaylea Frost said that the pub is vital for older people in the community to meet.

Emma Walker added: “We will lose the community spirit of the entire village if we lose the pub.”

Ian Halstead said: “It wouldn’t be so bad if he had opened and it didn’t work.”

Valerie Brooks said: “When I came here 40 years ago there was not only the pub but a post office and shop. Now this is the last thing apart from the village hall and church.”

We failed to reach Mr Osborn directly, but in his planning application he said: “I have spent several thousand pounds in the hope that we could have opened.

“Due to not being able to open since July 1 because of the Covid pandemic and not being able to open even with the national guidelines for social distancing due to the size and layout of the pub I have looked at other options.

“The Plough currently has planning to turn part of it into holiday lets, which I can only presume was due to the previous owners identifying the pub was failing as a business.”

The application also states that the building needs a new roof and re-rendering.

The supporting information adds:”I’m asking for a change of use to a private dwelling.

“If granted I would look to sell The Plough as I do not have the finances to develop it myself. Should the change of use be denied then The Plough would end up being boarded up.

“I have spoken to a couple of business brokers who deal with selling public houses but they have all said the same thing, no one is buying pubs at the moment for obvious reasons, i.e. they cannot open.

“I have tried to get a commercial use of the building, however, having spoken to planning its very limited as to what is allowed.

“In March the Plough would have been closed for a year.

“This is a very unfortunate situation and certainly one that I didn’t wish for.”