Don’t close pub – it’s our community hub
ABREWERY planning to close a village’s only pub has been slammed for cutting off a vital community hub.
One resident of Dalton, West Lancashire, says that her severely disabled daughter will lose access to a vital place to socialise when the Prince Williams shuts down in the coming weeks.
Robinsons, which owns the pub, informed staff of the closure early last month, saying it was no longer viable as a business.
The mum, who asked only to be named as Sam, says 26-year-old Amy has got to know various members of the community through visiting the pub with her support worker, while the family go together around once a week for a meal or drinks.
Amy suffered two brain tumours before reaching school age, leaving her with cognitive difficulties and physical disabilities which means she uses an electric wheelchair.
The family moved to the village about six months ago, largely motivated by having the pub available as a community hub and if the pub is to close down, Sam said, Amy would lose vital independence as she will have to travel by taxi to nearby towns or villages.
Sam said: “We moved here six months ago because there is a lovely country pub here. We wanted Amy to be able to join in the community via the local pub.
“We went in last week. The pub was all doom and gloom, the staff said it was shutting down in two weeks.
For Sam, a main source of frustration is not just the closure of the pub, but the unwillingness of Robinsons to engage with her and others in the village.
She hosted a public meeting at the pub on Sunday to discuss efforts to pressure Robinsons into reversing the decision but said no one from the brewery was willing to attend, despite her contacting two officials.
She added: “The local pub services the church. It has a pub quiz; last year it raised £15,000 for the church.
“I don’t want the pub to close. I’ve tried to contact the brewery but hit a brick wall. They’ve just said, ‘It’s shutting, it’s not viable, that’s it,’.
”At the end of the day, a community is going to lose a pub. People are going to be excluded, all because someone decided it’s not viable. If they bring all these figures and explain why it’s not viable then fair enough, but that’s not happening.
“I don’t think it’s very fair to the village.”
According the brewery’s website, the pub building dates back to at least the 17th century.
Robinsons did not respond to a request for comment.