Homes plan blow to pub campaign
CAMPAIGNERS trying to save a Birkdale pub for community use have been dealt a blow with the site likely to be sold to a property developer.
The Blundell Arms Community Pub (BACP) group wants to save the Blundell Arms, in Upper Aughton Road, to use as a community pub and dementia cafe.
The group’s plans feature a wheelchair-accessible farm garden, microbrewery, events such as “distil your own gin” nights, and meeting rooms for community groups.
It lodged an official bid for the pub, via a local independent chartered surveyors, of £150,000 and had signed up a list of potential investors which, along with its detailed business plan, could have gained up to £100,000 in match funding.
But the group now faces the prospect of those plans disappearing after owner Star Pubs and Bars turned down its bid for the pub and is instead continuing talks with a property developer.
The developer has since contacted Birkdale Homing Pigeon Racing Club with details of its intention to demolish the club’s two buildings on the site.
BACP group is refusing to give up the battle and plans to fight any planning application to demolish the pub and build housing.
Jason McCormack, who started the campaign, said: “We just can’t afford to compete with someone planning to build housing on the site.
“We made a fair offer for the pub as a business and had hoped Star Pubs would work with us to make the pub great again.
“Unfortunately they are selling the pub as a development site. This means that we could lose the last family pub in Birkdale, a place for family and friends to meet rather than eat.
“The pub was in so many ways the heart and soul of our community.”
He added: “It was a successful pub for many years.
“It was only during the last few years that a lack of investment led to its closure.
“The last tenants to run the pub were moved in with the promise of a full refurbishment when that didn’t happen the tenants left and Star Pubs closed the pub despite interest from an experienced local landlady.”
The group is urging residents of Sefton and neighbouring boroughs who want to sign the petition to get in touch by emailing their full name and address to DellPreservation@ gmail.com.
It will contact everyone when the planning application is announced and arrange for them to sign the petition in person.
A Star Pubs & Bars spokeswoman said that the company was aware of community interest in the Blundell Arms and that it “has been closed for over two years due to nobody wanting to take this large, expensive-to-run pub on and turn it into a profitable business”.
She added that the Star had “tried to be supportive of the community group” but said that although an official bid was submitted, “no proof of funding or timescales were ever finalised”.
“This left us with no alterna- tive choice, particularly after years of trying and failing to find a suitable operator for the pub with the relevant experience and investment available, to put the property on the market, something that is always a last resort option.
“We are unable to comment on further details of the sale at the current time.”
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