The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Community pub threat
The Ploughman at the Werrington Centre faces an uncertain future after leaseholder Andy Simmonds announced his intentions to walk away in the summer.
Andy has run the awardwinning pub for the last 15 years but has now said that he will walk away after the pub’s charity Beer Fest in the middle of July at the latest due to a dispute with the pub’s owners Melbourne Holdings.
The company has owned the pub - with Andy maintaining ownership of everything inside - for the last five years but a deal for Andy to buy the pub was reportedly agreed in November.
Andy then claims that he was informed at the end of January, while waiting for the paperwork to go through, that the pub was no longer for sale and furthermore he was presented with a service charge of £68,000 for use of the centre, which is under shared ownership, including Andy himself.
Andy has said this has left him in a situation of either paying the money or leaving. Currently, the process is in arbitration but Andy had stated
his desire to step away, unless a settlement can be found. His decision has been hastened by a recent health scare.
He said: “I arrived in Werrington in 1980 and grew up here, it’s not just a pub, it’s my family home and I will fight them as much as I can but at some point, the need to look after my health will win.
"My hope is that Melbourne Holdings can come to the table and we can come to an agreement.
"Losing the pub would rip the heart out of the community. It is a hub for Werrington and all of that work in the community that we have been doing would be destroyed.
"We have Heltwate School as our dedicated charity. The
Ploughman has around £3500 to donate to the school and they will be the beneficiaries of the charity Beer Fest in July, which I have now said that I will be leaving after.
Peterborough MP Paul Bristow has offered his support to Andy and is fighting to secure a meeting between the two parties.
He said: “The Ploughman is a popular and successful pub and the idea it could be closed is heartbreaking.’’
Werrington ward councillor John Fox added: “It would be a very, very sad loss if the Ploughmanwastogo,itisareal pub for the community.’’
The PT has contacted Melbourne Holdings for comment.