Village pubs going despite campaign

One could re-open in two years

A Devon village is to lose one of its two pubs, despite a concerted campaign by villagers to save it.

They claimed the Red Lion at Tedburn St Mary was a ‘force for good’ in the community, and could re-open as a pub after being closed for two years.

But the owner told Teignbridge Council’s planning committee he could not keep it going any longer and it needed to be converted into houses. 

Villagers raised money towards buying it after having the property listed as an official asset of community value, and supporters said buyers were interested in taking it on as a pub again.

But owner Terry Tume told the meeting: “The village doesn’t want to lose the Red Lion, but a business cannot survive without customers and their money.”

And, he said, the planned development of four houses would meet a local need for homes.

Objector Martin Rich said the village’s other pub, the nearby King’s Arms, could not deliver the ’community focus’ of the Red Lion. “It is viable as a pub,” he said. “Its loss would significantly diminish our community.”

Councillors had put off making a decision on the plan until they had been on a site visit to see it in more detail, and several members of the committee raised concerns over parking, highways and pedestrian safety from the proposed development.

And Cllr David Cox (Lib Dem, Teignmouth Central) said: “There are people prepared to buy it and run it as a pub. It was bought as a pub, and it should be sold as a pub.”

But the committee voted by a large majority to allow the pub to be converted into housing.