Concern over pub site housing plan
A ONCE-THRIVING Gower pub which could be demolished and turned into housing would be a huge loss to the community, objectors have said.
The Greyhound Inn used to be a flourishing venue, which, according to a Swansea Council planning report, had an income of £1.13 million in 2015.
But that plummeted to around £500,000 last financial year after the previous tenants had left, while business rates soared from £47,000 to £101,000.
Its owners now want to knock it down and build nine houses, four of which would be affordable.
Speaking at a planning committee meeting, objector Janice Williams described the Oldwalls pub as a thriving venue with “an enviable reputation” prior to October 2016.
It was at that point, she alleged, that the owners raised the rent from £78,000 to £103,000 per year, prompting the tenants to leave.
Mrs Williams, of Oldwalls, claimed the pub subsequently struggled.
She also claimed there was interest locally in buying The Greyhound Inn at “a realistic market value” and “good offers were made but not considered”.
Urging committee members to reject the plans for the nine houses, Mrs Williams said: “This would be the third pub to close in the vicinity.
“If this application is approved, it would further add to the decline in the area. Job opportunities would be lost forever.”
Planning agent Phil Baxter, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said the principle of residential development at the site was acceptable and the scheme had been amended several times.
Mr Baxter claimed that council officers had not initially seen the need for an affordable housing element, and he disputed Mrs Williams’s assertion about good offers to buy it.
“If such a strong offer had been made, he (the owner) would be foolish to ignore it,” he said.
Mr Baxter said one offer was accepted, but that prospective buyer pulled out because they could not secure a mortgage.
The report before the committee said the housing application had led to 63 letters of objection and one of support - plus a petition with 324 signatures opposing the development. Further correspondence was presented to councillors at the meeting.
Objectors said it would be “another nail in the coffin” of the community and the pub was popular with walking groups and tourists heading back from Llangennith, among others.
Llanrhidian Lower Community Council objected, saying The Greyhound dated from the mid-19th Century and had been a focal point of village life since then.
The area used to have four drinking spots - The Greyhound Inn, The North Gower Hotel, The Dolphin Inn and The Welcome to Town - but only The Welcome to Town is trading. But planning officers said the applicant had provided detailed justification and reasoning behind the closure of The Greyhound Inn, including sales particulars when it was put on the market.
The report added that Gower Brewery, which also operated there, moved at the same time as the previous tenants and was now doing well in nearby Crofty.
Officers said the proposed nine houses could “successfully integrate with their surroundings”.
The planning committee wanted to see the site themselves, especially the road layout, before determining the application, and the matter has been deferred until next month.