By Carmelo Garcia – Local
A Cheltenham publican has hit out at the Liberal Democrats for what he sees as a lack of support in helping protect the town’s last Regency inn from development.
Borough planners granted permission to convert the Bell Inn in Bath Road into three flats in October while retaining part of the ground floor for commercial space or a public house.
Landlord Chris Evans, 79, described the decision at the time as “terrible” and has previously spoken about how important the accommodation he offers at the inn is to his business.
He has now taken issue with the latest leaflet he has received through the post from the Cheltenham Liberal Democrats.
The pamphlet says MP Max Wilkinson is a “long-term backer of Cheltenham’s brilliant pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels”.
But Mr Evans says the Lib Dem-run council has approved plans which threaten the inn.
And none of the Lib Dem councillors who represent that part of the town have publicly supported the campaign to save his pub, he said.
The MP is understood to have offered via email to support Mr Evans.
Mr Evans said the initial campaign to save the pub was signed by almost 800 people and he does not want the issue to become a political football.
“The trouble is, I think, almost all the councillors are now Lib Dems,” he said.
“And all the people that came in here were Conservatives which is a little bit unfortunate.
“It wasn’t my intention. It’s just the way it turned out. We had nearly 800 signatures from people on our first objection.
“They were all sorts of people, people I know who are red hot Lib Dems, and Greens, and probably a few Communists among them.
“I don’t want it to be a political football. I just want the Bell Inn to stay open as a part of Regency Cheltenham.
“It was built in 1809, for God’s sake. You can’t keep destroying the town.
“All I’m trying to do is keep open the only remaining Regency inn fully operational in Cheltenham.”
Mr Evans said the pub industry in Cheltenham has changed a lot since he took on the inn in the 1990s.
“The attitude towards going out at lunch time is the biggest change,” he said.
“When we first came here, up the road at Eagle Tower there were 1,300 hundred people working there.
“So there was a birth, death, marriage, divorce every day of the week. So you would get six or eight people in here celebrating or commiserating every lunch time.
“But overall it is still a good business. We’ve got the bar, we do a bit of food at the weekend with Sunday lunches and we’ve got the accommodation.
“We do very well out of that. It’s amazing the amount of people who are not Cheltonians who come and say it’s great to come and find a real proper pub near the centre of town.”
Cheltenham Borough Council recognises the planning decision outcome is disappointing for Mr Evans.
The application was not called to the planning committee by the local councillors and was approved by officers.
And planning and building control cabinet member Mike Collins (LD, Benhall, the Reddings and Fiddler’s Green) said the council has done everything correctly regarding the planning application.
He also said while The Bell Inn was granted asset of community value status it will not continue operating solely as a pub.
Cllr Collins said: “From a planning point of view everything was done correctly and is in order.
“In summary, planning policies safeguard rural and village pubs, as they are often the sole establishments remaining; however, this protection does not apply to town centre pubs, where multiple options typically exist.
“Unfortunately, although the campaign group secured the asset of community value status, the property will not simply continue operating solely as a pub.”
Cheltenham Liberal Democrats have been approached for comment.