Landlord calls time on pub plans

The pub has been standing empty for nearly 18 months

The landlord of a south Devon pub has criticised plans by a local council to rescue a rival pub in the next village.

Teignbridge District Council is currently considering whether to use its compulsory purchase powers to buy the Toby Jug pub in Bickington.

Frank Sparks, landlord of the Welcome Stranger, about three-quarters of a mile away, said it would be an inappropriate use of public money.

The council said it would only buy it to sell it on to a commercial operator.

Proximity 'irrelevant'

The pub has been standing empty for nearly 18 months.

After it closed, villagers complained that they had lost an important focal point as it had already lost a garage, a post office and that their community hall was under threat.

It is estimated that if it was bought it would need about £250,000 to carry out the necessary repairs.

Frank Sparks said: "If Teignbridge do get involved in it, it has to be done on a fair basis, otherwise we'll end up trading against a pub which is actually subsidised and which can do things that would be of detriment to our business."

Councillor Jeremy Christophers of Teignbridge District Council said the pub would be sold on to a commercial operator, so there would not be unfair competition.

He also added that the Welcome Stranger's proximity to Bickington was irrelevant.

He said: "The Welcome Stranger is not in the village; it's not even in the parish. It's in the parish of Ilsington, and we're talking about the people of Bickington.

"Now that may sound parochial, but anyone who lives in a village knows how important their pub is and we want ours back to be like any other village really."