The threat of a Crickhowell High Street pub being turned into a national chain convenience store will disappear for good this month after campaigners won planning permission to convert it instead into shops and flats.
The decision opens the way for more than 230 mainly local people to complete the purchase of The Corn Exchange pub in Crickhowell High Street – expected in the first week of November. They invested in excess of £500,000 to buy and convert the building and prevent it being turned into a supermarket, fearing it would damage other family-run businesses nearby and destroy the unique character of the town. The purchase of the pub was conditional on planning permission being granted for the alternative scheme of three shops and three flats. Brecon Beacons National Park Authority’s planning committee gave that approval at their October meeting.
After the planning meeting Dean Christy, Managing Director of Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd, said: “This is a giant leap forward. Without planning permission our purchase of The Corn Exchange could not have gone ahead. Now we have it we will seek to complete the sale as soon as possible and hope to start clearing and stripping out the building as soon as possible after that.
Mr Christy praised the owner of the pub, Punch Taverns Ltd, which had submitted plans to convert the Grade 2 Listed Corn Exchange into a convenience store, but withdrew them once they realised the scale of local opposition. Punch Taverns then worked with the Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd team to help secure planning for the alternative scheme.
Mr Christy said: “Punch Taverns recognised the uniqueness of Crickhowell High Street and have been incredibly patient and supportive while the design and planning process has been going on. It is not always easy, or possible, for big companies to balance the interests of their shareholders, whose focus is on returns and who would not want to see a building stand empty, with the desires of a community like Crickhowell. But they have done it and should be commended for doing so.”
Mr Christy also praised architects Hoole and Walmesly, whose plans won support from the National Parks Heritage Officer. He said: “There is no doubt that the success of these plans is due in great part to our architects, whose scheme is imaginative but sensitive both to the building and the character of Crickhowell High Street”.
Mr Christy also said “We must of course not forget the real stars of this phenomenal initiative and these are our shareholders. They invested their hard earned cash and, most importantly, put their faith in a small group of people they had never met or knew anything about. What is even more extraordinary is their incredible patience since the initiative started. I would like to assure them that our small management team has and always will look after their interests and the character of Crickhowell”
“When we complete the purchase”, Mr Christy said, “it will be the most remarkable example of a community taking action to protect and preserve its High Street, not just through opposition, but through positive action”.
Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd hopes to start stripping out the building in November in the hope of completing the conversion into three flats and three shops by Autumn 2017. The shop spaces will be reserved for independent traders and, wherever possible, the flats will be allocated to local people. Anyone interested in renting the shops or flats can get in touch via Corn Exchange Crickhowell’s website www.cornexchangecrickhowell.co.uk
Corn Exchange Crickhowell’s Communications Director, Tim Jones added: ”We hope things will start to happen very quickly as soon as the building is ours. People have been very patient and we know no one wants to see the building stand empty for a moment longer than possible. The building work will inevitably cause disruption to our neighbours and to the High Street – this is unavoidable – but we will do everything we can to minimise the impact.”
Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd
