Student flats plan for former Shippo’s pub
REAL ALE CAMPAIGNERS RUE DEMISE OF CITY DRINKING AREA
REAL ale campaigners have spoken of the demise of a once thriving city drinking area after plans were tabled to convert a former pub into student accommodation.
Developers have come up with a plan to convert what used to the Forest Inn, in Alfreton Road, in Radford.
The former Shipstone’s pub, on the corner of Forest Road West, is presently occupied by a takeaway at ground floor level, with accommodation on the first and second floors.
The proposed transformation is to refurbish and make alterations to the building in order to create 25 student bedrooms.
Steve Westby, chairman of the Nottingham branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, spoke about the old pub, and said the area was once known for the “Alfreton Road crawl”.
He said: “It was a Shippo’s pub, I only ever went in it once - it was a very much locals’ pub, it very much served the community.
“I would not wish to support that [the conversion] as a Nottingham citizen. It’s very sad that a thriving area like Alfreton Road has lost virtually all of its pubs over the last 20 years or so.”
He explained the Forest Inn was located opposite the old Queen Hotel, an former Homes Ales pub.
Andrew Ludlow, secretary of Nottingham CAMRA, said: “It used to be quite famous in the 70s and 80s. The Alfreton Road pub crawl used to be a sign of achievement, starting at one and ending up at the Canning Circus or going in the other direction to see how far you could get.”
Nottingham CAMRA member Ray Kirby, 69, a retired civil service worker, also rued the loss of local pubs in the area.
He said: “You have got the ones at Canning Circus, you have got the Running Horse and what is now the Organ Grinder.
“But past that there is not anything at all now. There was virtually a pub on every corner all the way down. It’s one of those areas that has been decimated as regards the public house, everything has gone.”
A statement, included in the planning application, read: “Converted Victorian factory buildings neighbour the site as well as residential and public houses from this era.
The existing building on the application site is one of these public houses, since converted.
“The building bears the basic hallmarks of the area’s Victorian heritage: large window openings to the ground and first floors with smaller openings at second.”
It also states that the close proximity of the city’s two universities, and “the growing student population
in the Alferton Road area”, supports the need for “contemporary student accommodation on the site”.
The statement adds: “Should demand for student apartments cease in the area, the internal layout of the proposed building has been designed to be allow it to be repurposed as general HMO (house in multiple occupation) living or private apartments.
“To allow for the facilities necessary to support student accommodation on the site the fast food takeaway currently located on ground floor of the existing building will need to be omitted.”
Mohammed Ishaq, the leaseholderof Dixy Chicken takeaway on the ground floor, said: “I have seen the application, I have objection to it because how, without letting me know - I have 35 years to run [on the lease] - how can he [the landlord] make plans which takes my business away?”
Details of the plans were submitted to the city council by Marchini Curran Associates, on behalf of Cure Restoration. The Post has contacted both companies for more information about the project. Tomlinson & Tomlinson (Holdings) Ltd is the company listed as the applicant.
It comes after redevelopment plans were submitted last year for the old Windmill Inn, Alfreton Road, to flatten the building to make way for new apartments.