Pub blockade to stop ‘funny business’
A village pub near Bath is having to block the entrance to its car park to stop inappropriate use of it during a pandemic.
The Globe Inn, at Newton St Loe has a 124-space car park, which due to the pub being closed, has been used as a location for “funny business” and for dog walkers to leave their cars.
Residents of Newton St Loe, where substantial amounts of land are owned by Prince Charles’s Duchy of Cornwall, have already said the quiet village is being “invaded” with visitors from other areas coming on lockdown walks in the nearby countryside.
Philip Houghton, 41, who runs the pub, said they have been suffering from the same problem, leaving them no option but to blockade their car park.
Mr Houghton said: “We are obviously closed so there isn’t any reason why cars should be using our private car park. When we are open we use ANPR technology to deter people from using our car park but not using the pub – people visiting the pub enter their registration to avoid a parking charge.
“Sadly we were getting used as a park and ride or a place to dump a car and travel to other destinations or by students from the universities, but during this lockdown there have been loads of people using the car park, dropping litter and also meeting in the car park late at night. We all know why – no prizes for guessing what’s happening then.
“So I have had to block the car park to stop people doing this. I suspect the cars now park in the village
We’re obviously closed so there isn’t any reason why cars should be using our private car park. Pub boss Philip Houghton
which goes to show the level of the issues we have been experiencing here. It is sad that we have had to take these measures to protect our property from inconsiderate behaviour.”
The ANPR technology is not currently on at the car park as Mr Houghton explains staff have been furloughed at the company which runs it and it’s been switched off.
Mr Houghton added that the pandemic has been a real strain for the pub which he estimates has lost £1 million in sales.
He said: “It just hurts when I’m sitting in an empty pub and I can see people acting inappropriately outside. We’ve had maybe four months of proper trade last year but even then we had reduced capacity and many people were too nervous to go to a pub.
“I’d love to be open and have people in the pub but it’s not on the table right now. People need to follow the rules and not travel here unless it’s essential.
“One time I had to use my car that is blocking the entrance to go do a food shop to find it had been blocked in. The lady’s husband came back and started being abusive at me for asking them to move the car.
“It’s not right.” Complaints about the number of visitors to the village in lockdown have been raised before.
Mark Foster, the chairman of Newton St Loe Parish Council, previously said he was concerned about the impact hordes of visitors would have on the small village.