MALVERN residents are being urged to make their voices heard this week in a bid to save a village pub amid fears of ‘potential demolition’.
Plans are afoot to submit an application for The Three Nuns pub in Powick to become a ‘Community of Asset Value’ building, providing there is enough public support behind it.
The Colletts Green Road pub currently finds itself in the centre of controversial plans to build a new Co-Op convenience store behind it.
Organisers of the meeting, which takes place on Friday night, say should the plans – submitted by New River Retail who also own the land – be refused for a second time they fear it could lead the developers to ‘demolish the pub’ in order to get a food store on site.
But people’s fears over the pub’s future would be allayed and its long term future secure if it was to get Community of Asset Value status from Malvern Hills District Council.
In September the Observer reported how residents had been left ‘appalled’ after the Co-Op store plans resurfaced – just three months after they were first rejected.
The first application was refused on highways grounds following concerns the store would bring traffic chaos and anti-social trouble into the village.
However this time the determined developers have relocated the store behind the pub adjacently and have proposed the beer garden to be moved from the back of the site to the frontage of the pub.
But Colletts Green Action Group, which consists of more than 100 residents, say safety issues are still of major concern and vowed for the plans to be refused again.
The action group added the arrival of a new shop would be ‘dangerous’ for residents near to the site and would have a ‘negative impact on the community’.
Friday’s meeting has been organised by Powick Parish Council who say it is time for people to come forward to save the pub.
In a letter about the meeting organisers said: “If the second application for a Co-Op shop is refused by the planners then New River Retail could possibly demolish the pub in an attempt to resolve the visibility splay problem and other issues.
“The community needs to act now.”
Powick district and county councillor Tom Wells said it would be a ‘sad day’ if the pub was to close permanently.
He told the Observer: “I think people in Powick would welcome a shop in the village but many tell me that this is not the appropriate site for it.”
However New River Retail dismissed any suggestions about demolishing the pub.
A spokesman for New River said: “It is completely incorrect to suggest that we would contemplate demolishing The Three Nuns. It has not been considered.
“The objective of the revised planning application is to provide a new convenience store to trade alongside the pub and create a ‘community hub’ that would serve the locality.”
The meeting starts at 7pm at Powick Parish Hall.
