'Dont call time on pub'

The Harvest Home in Winchester Road, Whitchurch, closed down last August while under the ownership of Admiral Taverns.

Since then the windows have been boarded up. But in the last few weeks an 8ft-high wooden fence has been erected around the site.

Consequently, members of the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) fear it could suffer the same fate as The Railway Inn, also in Whitchurch, which was bulldozed last year, without the owners needing planning permission.

John Buckley, a Whitchurch resident and regional director of the north Hampshire branch of CAMRA, is leading the campaign and petition to save the pub building.

He said: “This campaign is standing up against developers who may demolish any building of importance without permission.”

The petition asks the borough council to prevent the owner from demolishing the building before a planning application is submitted for development.

The borough council confirmed that the new owner of the site intended to demolish the building.

Giorgio Framalicco, interim head of planning and transport at the borough council, said: “The building is not listed or within a conservation area and therefore planning permission is not needed to demolish the building. However, officers are in discussion with councillors as to whether a direction can be served which will bring the demolition of the building under planning control.”

Mr Buckley said the Whitchurch History Society had offered its support to the campaign as the building dated back to the 1920s.

He added: “We are also concerned about the annual Pub Race that raises funds locally. No pubs equal no race and no funds for good causes.

“Then there are all the people who lose jobs, from window cleaners, to food suppliers. A local pub brings an average of £80,000 of wealth to a community.”

Admiral Taverns said it sold the pub to a private individual in March, but refused to reveal who.

For more information about the campaign and petition go to savetheharvesthome.org.uk/shhpetition. html.