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Bryn Lerwill and John Dobin (left) claim rising costs imposed by brewers Shepherd Neame have led to the closure of their local, the White Hart in Collier Street (below)
Shepherd Neame pub closure row
REGULARSin Collier Street claim Shepherd Neame has been “a dis- aster” for their local pub. The 155-year-old White Hart in Claygate, recently sold by the brew- ery, could be the last pub of five in the parish to shut. Bryn Lerwill and John Dobin say crippling tenancy costs and supply tariffs have forced tenants away. John, a chartered quantity sur-
veyor, claimed that since being bought from Russell Roberts in 2008 by the brewery, locals have been served by 11 different landlords – driving trade elsewhere. Mr Dobin, from Claygate, said:
“We’ve had 11 new faces, 11 new bar and restaurant teams, 11 close down and handover periods, 11 new interpretations of what is best for the pub, 11 sets of new opening hours, 11 menu styles and so on. “Whatever one may think about
the quality of the beer on offer, the quality of the tenant landlords var- ied tremendously, but good or bad, each succumbed to unsupportable financial losses. “ShepherdNeamehas been a dis-
aster for the White Hart, rendering it impossible for anyone to make a go of it. “If a company of its size could not
find a manager to keep the pub run- ning until anewfreehouse landlord was established, then clearly S&N
has no interest in respecting the pub’s heritage.” Collier Street parish council chair-
manBarbara Grandi said: “Thiswas a popularpub…butmore recently it seems to have beendownto the dif- ferent managers that were put here by the brewery not being suited to the needs of the locals. It will be ex- tremely sad if it doesn’t continue as a pub.” The parish council isnowwaiting
for news on its application to regis- ter the pub as a community asset. Retired IT consultant Bryn Lerwill
said: “Having a decent pub within walking distancewas one of the cri- teria for choosing our house when we moved here from Hertfordshire 11 years ago.” A Shepherd Neame spokesman
said: “The brewery decided to sell the White Hart in Collier Street, and contracts have been exchanged for the sale of the premises. The deci- sion was not taken lightly, but the pub has not been economically vi- able for some time.”
Threat toA&E dismissed
STORIES circulating that the future of Maidstone HospitalA&Ecould be under threat, as NHS services in Kent are reorganised, have been totally dismissed by local health bosses. Dr Bob Bowes, chairman of the budget-holding NHS West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “This has come out of nowhere as far as I amconcerned. There are no plans by either Maidstone and TunbridgeWells NHS Trust or by the commissioning group to close Maidstone A&E.” Glenn Douglas, chief executive of the hospital trust, said closure would be impossible unless a new service point was created to ac- commodate the huge number of patients seen." Dennis Fowle, chairman of Maidstone Action for Services in the Hospital (MASH), said: “Maidstone has frequently been assured about the future of ourA&E and my current research convinces me it is not under threat.”
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