We must save our pub
VILLAGERS AIM TO BUY LOCAL AND PUT THE ‘HEART’ BACK IN VILLAGE
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save their village pub have called an emergency meeting after a planning application was lodged to turn it into a holiday home.
Locals fear that if granted the 19th century Gwynedd inn – which closed in April when the owners retired – could be lost to the community for ever.
It is feared that the former Cross Foxes, in Garndolbenmaen, near Porthmadog, could even become a holiday home.
Objectors now want today’s meeting to plan a robust response to the application, which they say will be another death nail to village life.
Garndolbenmaen, which sits on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, has already lost its shop and post office and locals have had to travel as far as Caernarfon or Porthmadog for a social night out.
Carol Morris, 52, of the Friends of Garn group said: “We have called an emergency public meeting to discuss different objections to the change of use for the pub.
“Our pub has been shut for six months now and it really has taken the heart out of the community.
“We’ve already lost our shop and post office and there are a lot of people who have come to retire here because we had those amenities but now they’re gone people are very upset.”
Mrs Morris has petitioned the National Assembly to change the law on community assets in Wales so that the pub can’t be changed into anything other than for community use.
She added: “The ultimate aim is to buy the pub as a community asset, build up trade and then advertise for bilingual tenants. Something needs to be done to stop our rural communities dying. People need to know rural Wales is not for sale.”
Dolbenmaen county councillor, Stephen Churchman said he was unable to comment on the planning issue.