The Corner House plan slammed by the Campaign for Pubs

The Campaign for Pubs has written a letter to city council leader Martin Tod about the controversial scheme.

The pub, in North Walls, closed in 2019 after it had been run by the Little Pub Company operated by Jayne Gillin.

Winchester City Council bought the freehold of the building in December 2019 for £500,000. It had been marketed by Savills, who initially priced it at £700,000 before accepting the city council's offer. 
A planning application to convert it into six flats was submitted in 2022, but has been held up over nitrate regulations, the way of mitigating the environmental impact of development. 

The letter, signed by pubs protection adviser James Watson and vice-chair Dawn Hopkins, said: “We are asking specifically that you stop/withdraw the planning application and allow for a proper consideration of the future of the Corner House/Forester’s, including as a pub, something that has so far been denied both by the previous owners and also by the direct action of Winchester City Council to buy the pub as a development opportunity, something we were staggered – and frankly appalled – to hear about.

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“We are aware that the previous owners, Hong Kong-owned pubco Greene King, with a history of selling off pubs for development, put the pub up for sale, but at what was clearly an inflated price. 

“Consequently, the pub wasn’t bought as a pub. As a result of this, Winchester City Council stepped in and bought it (with taxpayers’ money) and is now applying for permission (to its own planning department!) to convert it to residential use.

“At a time when communities and councillors up and down the country are fighting against ‘predatory purchasing’ of pubs, it is absolutely extraordinary that Winchester City Council have themselves engaged in predatory purchasing by buying a pub to convert it (and doing so using taxpayers’ money!). 

“We also find it extraordinary that considering Winchester City Council has policy obligations to resist the unnecessary closure of pubs (and with a local plan that reflects that), that it has itself bought a pub with the deliberate intention to convert it. This is undermining your own local development plan.

“There is also therefore clearly a conflict of interest with Winchester City Council applying to Winchester City Council for permission to wipe this pub permanently off the map (and cashing in by developing it or selling it to a developer). 

“We urge you to listen and act. Please give this pub a chance.”

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In a response to Mr Watson and Ms Hopkins, Cllr Tod said: “The decision by the planning committee is not yet taken - and they will be properly considering the change of use as part of their decision making. They are quite independent of the administration and, indeed, the last city council application for planning permission was refused by them.

“I share your desire to protect community pubs – both through planning policy and the direct actions of the council. 

“In practice, The Corner House had stopped being a pub, as most of us would recognise it, long before it finally closed. It was a brilliant café and restaurant and I and many others particularly enjoyed their excellent breakfasts and brunches.

“We have a desperate shortage of affordable housing in our city which the city council is determined to address. It’s why we’ve increased the number of council houses more than any other council in Hampshire since 2019. 

“There are many pubs in the Winchester district I would fight very hard to save. They’re a vital part of our local community in our city, towns and villages. If I genuinely thought the Corner House still served that role, I would be fighting to save it too.”

City MP Steve Brine said: “I am grateful to the campaign for pubs for putting a marker down here. I think many of us remember fondly, in more recent years, Sunday brunch at the Corner House and were sad to see it close. I would urge Winchester City Council to think very carefully before it’s lost forever and simply can’t re-open as a place where we can meet and come together.”

The application will be decided by the planning committee on Wednesday, February 7. 

To view the planning application online, search 22/00860/FUL on the city council's planning portal.