Cotswold pub escapes home-conversion plan
by MA Reporter
Fiona Davies wife of the Asda, Next and M&S fashion guru George has admitted defeat and dropped her controversial plan to convert a popular village pub into an ordinary house.
Days before a meeting of Cotswold District Council planning committee was due to consider her application Davies had it withdrawn.
The move follows strong opposition from outraged villagers in Bourton-on-the-Hill, near Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire and a recommendation by planning officers that the application should be refused.
Davies has owned the Horse and Groom pub in Bourton-on-the-Hill since 1996 and locals complain that since buying it she has gradually reduced opening hours and closed the restaurant to pave the way for its complete closure.
The final decision on her plan to convert it into a house was to have been taken by the council's planning committee members yesterday.
But the planning department confirmed that she has withdrawn the application.
Campaigners who had organised a public meeting and raised a 101-signature petition objecting to the application greeted her decision with relief.
Peter Chester, a village resident for 15 years before recently moving to Ross-on-Wye, said: "I would love to see it now re-instated as a pub that is the focal point of the village like it was in my day."
Chair of Bourton-on-the-Hill parish council, Trish Hayes, said: "We are very pleased indeed at Mrs Davies' decision not to pursue this.
"I know of certain people who would be very interested in buying the pub as a going concern if Mr and Mrs Davies wish to sell."
Tony Aburrow, chairman of the Gloucestershire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, said: "This is excellent news. All the village pubs around the Bourton area are doing exceedingly well and the Horse and Groom can be the same."
The objectors claimed that under Davies' ownership the opening hours of the pub were cut to just 11 a week which would render any pub commercially unviable.
