Brakspear site debate hots up

by Claire Hu The closure of Brakspear's brewery in Henley-on-Thames at the end of last year left many locals feeling resentful. Yet the row over the historic Oxfordshire site is far from over, as the focus now shifts to what will happen to it. Brakspear was accused of ripping the heart from the quintissentially English riverside town when it halted production at the end of October, ending a brewing tradition stretching back 220 years. The company, which cited falling sales and rising costs as reasons for pulling out, has sold the brand to Refresh UK but will continue looking after the interests of its 100 tied pubs. Having rid itself of the production side of the business, Brakspear is sitting on a property goldmine. The brewery site, which contains several listed buildings and is in a conservation area, is located in the centre of town near the river and could be a highly attractive proposition to luxury housing developers. The company expects to make around £10m from the sale ­ which it hopes to finalise after Easter ­ and believes housing or retail to be the most likely future uses. The company has been inundated with interest from developers. Brakspear has had several planning battles with Henley Town Council and South Oxfordshire District Council over the years. The site is being sold without change of use permission, and future developers are being warned it could be a lengthy planning process. Company spokesman Graham Stewart-Reed said: "The site is being sold as is, and it's up to anyone who wants to purchase it to apply for change of use. It's true we have had lots of issues with the councils over change of use. It will take a long time, and anyone buying the site needs to recognise that." Judging by the level of interest, though, the company is confident it will soon be able to dispose of the site. "It's fair to say we have had our difficulties with planners, but it's history as far as we are concerned. We have had lots of interest from all sorts of people. You don't see many sites like these left in the south east," said Stewart-Reed. Brakspear applied three years ago to turn redundant buildings on the site into commercial offices to let, but decided to close the brewing operation and sell the entire plant before the application was decided. There have been skirmishes with the council over plans to develop the famous Little White Hart pub, and the closure of a number of local pubs the company said were no longer viable, including the Unicorn in Peppard and AE Hobbs. Other ongoing wrangles include the future of the cricket club ground on Brakspear land and adjoining allotments. Insiders say there have been character clashes between council and Brakspear leaders, including chief executive Jim Burrows, who announced last week he was stepping down after six years in the post. He is being replaced by Scott Cooper, who admitted there had sometimes been tensions with planners, but said: "We can only look forward to good dealings with the local authorities." Many in the trade fear councils will have too much power in the future under licensing reform, as they will have control of both planning and licensing. Good relations between the two parties may become even more important. According to Councillor Jill Owen, chairman of the town council planning committee, most locals hate the idea of the land being turned into luxury flats for the rich. "I would like to see affordable housing for young people, but I don't really expect that to happen," she said. She admitted there had been tensions between the local authorities and Brakspear. "They were closing pubs and not considering the community at all," she said. "Brakspear used to serve the community but then it seemed as if all they were interested in was making money. They lost the good will of locals. Brakspear was part of our heritage." Dave Dawson, news editor of the Henley Standard newspaper, said Brakspear had become a highly emotive subject in the town. "It was central to the town and people feel they have a stake in what happens to it. Some people think it should become an arts centre, but really most want it to stay as a brewery," he said. "The company said one of the reasons they packed it in was because the council was so picky about how they wanted to develop the site. There was a strong clash of personalities and future developers will have to bear that in mind." There are already suggestions of the diplomatic minefield any future developer of the Brakspear site will have to negotiate. South Oxfordshire District Council, which will determine planning applications, is already hinting at the uses it would look favourably upon. Gill Oliver, planning policy manager, said, "It's a complex site. There are listed buildings so we will be looking for a use that preserves the character and I think that's more likely to be an employment-generating use like offices, a hotel or leisure use. "It is a difficult site to find a good use for. We don't think residential is appropriate, partly because the nature of the buildings makes residential division difficult." She said the council has been approached by a variety of potential buyers. Walking around the centre of Henley, there is a subtle difference that is quite hard to identify at first. Then you notice the once pleasant smell of hops which used to waft gently through the town has gone. Now locals are hoping the future development of the old Brakspear site will not leave them with a sour taste in the mouth.