Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Protesters’ plea: keep our pubs alive
‘I’m very concerned the city’s streetscape is changing. This must stop’
Dozens of placard-waving pub lovers descended on a historic inn to rail against plans that would see it lost forever.
The demonstrators gathered outside the Two Doves in Nunnery Fields, Canterbury, on Saturday – shortly after firm LJW Developments lodged fresh proposals to transform it into two houses.
Outside the shut-down premises, activists wielded signs displaying messages including “beer before bedsits”, “pints over profit” and “keep our pubs alive”.
Among the protesters was Barton councillor Connie Nolan, who fears local amenities across the city “are being swept up by developers with little regard for the community”.
“Canterbury is fast-changing into a place where the needs of residents are ignored,” the Labour member explained.
“I’m very concerned the city’s streetscape is changing. This must stop.”
Katrina Maclean, who runs the New Inn in Havelock Street, is still holding out hope of saving the historic tavern, which dates back to the 1880s.
Emails shared with the Gazette show the landlady lodged two offers - one for £350,000 two years ago and another of £400,000 in June - for the site, but they were unsuccessful.
Cllr Nolan believes the publican will be able to turn the alehouse into a successful venture.
“I met with several neighbours on Saturday who had been loyal regulars of the Two Doves and are hoping Ms Maclean will take it over,” she added.
“Ms Maclean has factored in the cost of restoring the bar and other fittings and intends to run it as a wet pub.
“Having two pubs will improve her economy of scale when purchasing beer and other supplies.”
Cllr Nolan says she visited the old pub last May, as a group she is a member of searched for locations to house a social club.
She claims the removal of the bar fittings inside prevented the organisation from putting a bid together as it “simply couldn’t afford a major renovation as well as the asking price”.
The pub has remained shut since 2019, the year LJW unveiled similar plans to turn it into two properties.
At the time, it was revealed the site’s trading loss of £740 in 2013 rose to more than £9,100 in 2017. Its tumbling earnings were blamed on its size and “inability to develop to provide a food offer”.
The city council refused the scheme, with marketing company Sibley Pares later putting the building on the market for £425,000.
A report compiled by estate agency employee Ned Gleave says the company received no offers in the 12 months it had been marketing the site.
“The property continues to fall into a dilapidated state, incurring insurance, utilities and other maintenance related costs,” he said.
“A total of 11 separate enquires were received throughout the marketing period and no offers have been received to date.
“It is clear there is no demand for the property for its continued use as a public house or for alternative commercial uses.
“Meanwhile, the residential market continues to improve, for which price growth has reached record levels in the same timescale.”
When asked about Ms Maclean’s offer of last year, Sibley Pares said it had not met the asking price and that the firm’s requests for proof of funds or finance arrangements were not answered.
Without these, the company stressed it could not put the bid forward for consideration and, therefore, did not record it.