People power won the day in a battle over town’s heritage
When a retail giant wanted to move into a historic pub, townspeople joined up to fight the plans. Anna Lewis reports on a David v Goliath battle
IT WAS the real-life story of David and Goliath – the moment a small Welsh community came together to overcome a supermarket giant against all the odds.
And now a year later, the residents of Crickhowell are getting ready for their latest milestone after painstakingly restoring an old pub back to its former glory.
Nestled in the countryside in south Powys, the town of Crickhowell has long been known for its fierce independence.
With hardly a chain shop in sight, it boasts a family-run butchers, bakers, florists and convenience stores, to name only a few.
So when a national supermarket revealed it had set its sights on the former Corn Exchange pub, residents rallied together to stop the idea in its tracks.
Starting at first with a petition gaining 1,500 signatures, the community soon realised a more practical solution was the only way forward.
“The action group got to the point that there was little they could do except protest,” said campaign member Dean Christ – now the voluntary managing director of Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd.
“Then we decided that if we couldn’t stop it by protesting, the only way to go was to gain total control.
“The people in Crickhowell were up in arms.
“About 250 people from the local community came together and bought shares.”
After raising a total of £500,000, the group of shareholders took control of the building from Punch Taverns in November 2016, creating headlines across the country with its victory.
But little did the group realise the difficulties that lay ahead with their ambitious plans to convert the space into shops and flats.
Dean said: “Punch Taverns could easily have sold it a big multinational company, but they started to understand what we were doing.
“The real challenge came after. We stripped the building and realised it was held up by strings.
“We had to give it a completely new roof, but none of this was known in advance.
“Until you start stripping it you don’t know – the building was literally falling down.”
With the full extent of the work much bigger than expected, further shares were bought by residents to help the project get on its feet.
Over the following months new foundations were laid, along with steel beams to replace old columns barely supporting the upper floors.
Sobering video footage of the renovation shows a single metal bar column supporting half the building and the roof – resting on top of a crumbling pile of bricks.
Dean added: “It really was a miracle that over the years the building hadn’t collapsed before then.
“We could have given up a long time ago, but we have 250 shareholders’ trust in three people, so you go overboard not to let those people down.”
With the conversion of the Grade II listed building now coming to an end, the 250-member group have turned to their latest mission – finding occupants to fill the space.
After receiving hundreds of applications, each one is studied at length to make sure it complements the town’s existing shops.
Dean said: “This is a community initiative and we are all volunteers so we have to balance the needs of the town and residents and the needs of the shareholders.
“We want small businesses, preferably local, and we’ve ruled out nationals.
“We looked at each to see if it would fit with the character of Crickhowell and looked at their business plans and the sustainability of the venture.”
So far the new tenants of two of the three shop spaces have been announced.
And with one being Wales’ first zero-waste shop and another selling luxury brownies, it appears the two fit the bill.
Run by Chloe Masefield and husband Robin, “Zero Waste” will sell organic products by weight, with customers either bringing their own containers or being provided with reusable or compostable alternatives.
After struggling to find a permanent home, Crickhowell couple Darryl Evans and Michelle O’DonnellEvans will also move into the building to provide their popular brownie wedding cakes and towers.
The next step is to find the third and final shop tenant before filling the three flats in the floor above, much to the excitement of the town’s existing inhabitants.
Dean said: “The people of Crickhowell are rejoicing with what is happening.
“People are always looking at the building and what we have been working on. They’re amazed at what has been achieved.
“One of the joys of this project is that we’re not just saving the high street from the supermarket but also protecting a historic building.”
He added: “I’ve been in this business my whole life and it’s one of the most exciting, inspiring and rewarding projects I’ve ever done.
“It shows you what’s possible when a small group of people get together.”
‘We must learn to be brave and hear what we don’t want to hear so we can challenge it. If we don’t, the yobs who shout loudest will win’ Abbie Wightwick: Page 26