Burnt-out pub repair could top £100k

It could be a year before reopening but landlord promises they’ll be back stronger than ever

A landlord whose pub was devastated by a fire says the early estimate is that it could cost over £100,000 to complete the repair works.

Fire crews battled a blaze which broke out in the kitchen at the back of the grade-II listed Hooden on the Hill in Silver Hill Road in Willesborough Lees at the end of November last year.

The fire ripped through the back of the pub and spread to the timber framed building, which dates back to the 17th century, while the building was also waterlogged because of the efforts to dowse the flames.

Landlord Howard Lapish vowed to bring the pub back for its patrons, and scaffolding has gone up this week around the outside of the pub.

But Mr Lapish said that building owners Punch Taverns will have to agree an insurance claim and agree a plan with the council over what can be done to repair the building.

He said: “At the moment we are waiting for surveyors to carry out the survey before we can put in plans for the listed building.

“I’m hoping to have a meeting with Punch Taverns in two weeks time to discuss what we are doing, so we’re in the hands of Punch and the council.

“At the moment we’ve been

‘I’m still quite optimistic, I’d love to have this place open again by November’

told that they don’t think work will start before April, with things going backwards and forwards.”

Mr Lapish said that the early estimates he has been told about the repair work are that it could be a year before the pub could reopen.

He added: “It’s a major loss, and at the moment we don’t know what the cost of the rebuild will be, but whenever we have talked about the numbers it is estimated it will be over £100,000 at least to make sure everything is done correctly.

“I’m still quite optimistic, I’d love to have this place open again by November, but it depends how quickly Punch Taverns and the council agree on what can and can’t be done with the listed building and how quickly they can get started.”

On the pub’s Facebook page he has posted: “We will be back, stronger than ever”.

Our front page story at the time of the blaze