A community is battling against proposals to bulldoze a 140-year-old pub.
Basingstoke borough council is to decide whether to green light a planning application for homes on the site of The Soldiers Return in Upper Sherborne Road, Norden.
Basingstoke Heritage Society secretary Debbie Reavell said: “It is an incredibly old and handsome building. It would be sad to lose it because it is part of Basingstoke’s history and heritage – something which is important to keep.”
In November, an application was made on behalf of the Wellington Pub Company for the pub be demolished to make way for two two-bedroom houses and four three-bedroom homes.
Ms Reavell said the building’s destruction would be a great loss to the town,
In a bid to save the pub, Basingstoke Heritage Society has applied to the borough council to have it designated as a listed building.
The Soldiers Return is first mentioned in a trade directory in 1871. But Ms Reavell said the building could date from 1840 as a cottage licensed to sell beer under the Beer House Act 1830.
The pub has had a troubled history. According to documents submitted to council planning officers in January 2009, the previous landlord abandoned the pub without any notice after racking up £100,000 worth of unpaid rent.
On April 2 last year, it reopened under a new landlord, Mark Copley, who was installed as a temporary manager by the Wellington Pub Company.
Mr Copley said that despite a number of setbacks, he has done his best to turn the pub’s fortunes around.
He said: “Since we reopened, we have had a chequered record, but we are improving and drawing the drinkers in.”
Mr Copley said he had to contend with attacks by vandals, who in once incident smashed the pub’s front windows and threw coloured paint over the front of the building
But having been at the helm for over a year, he now hopes to buy the lease outright in April.
He said: “When we came in, we had short term plans to build up the business, but now we want to take it on long term.
“So when we saw the letter from the council telling us about the plans – well, that was like a big smack in the face. I do not want to see the pub close. It has got history behind it and it’s been part of this area for many years and means a lot to many people.”
To drum up support, Mr Copley launched a petition earlier this month. He has so far collected over 50 signatures, but hopes to double that total before handing it in to the council on January 26.
Norden ward councillors Paul Harvey and Laura James also have concerns about the plans.
Cllr Harvey said: “We have no problem with the proposals for development for houses – what we want is to keep the building.
“It may look old, but it does have a lot of value.”
Council planning officers are due to make a decision on the future of the building by February 8.
