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Care home? Give us our local pub!
7:00pm Friday 2nd May 2008
Comments (25)UPTON residents are to vociferously fight plans to convert the Greenridge pub into a nursing home.
The pub was closed by owners Hall & Woodhouse last month, and the Blandford-based brewery has since announced plans to develop a first-floor care home, with a 8,000 sq m commercial space below.
The Greenridge, previously known as the Upton Hotel, has stood on the Upton crossroads since 1935 and is viewed by many as a focal point for the community.
Simon Thomson, chairman of the Lytchett Minster and Upton Community Association, said the association would battle to retain the historic site for community use and, ideally, as a pub.
He said: "Upton has a population of more than 7,500. It is the second largest town in Purbeck and to leave us with nothing is ridiculous.
"The Greenridge has gone now and we're not going to get it back, but we have to look at how we can develop the site with a pub on it.
"I've not heard anyone say I'm glad it's closed'. Everyone is saying What a shame, it could be so good'."
A friendly, family-orientated pub would be ideal for the site, added Mr Thomson.
Upton councillor Fred Drane said residents wanted to see the character of the town preserved.
He said: "People consider the site the centre of Upton and don't want that ruined.
"There's not much there and we are trying to hang on to what there is.
"It's a beautiful building but it has been left to rack and ruin."
Tiles from the roof of the Greenridge building have already been removed, though Purbeck council would need to grant permission before the building could be demolished.
Hall & Woodhouse cited the effects of the smoking ban and a lack of local support as the reasons for the Greenridge's closure.
David Woodhouse, group managing director, said Dorset was in great need of care home places, and the development would be a boost for both Upton and the wider area.
Your Say YourBournemouth Echo
FletcherTheCat, The Sexy Beast says...
10:22pm Fri 2 May 08
What a load of rubbish.
The brewery have deliberately run the pub down because of the value of the land that it stands on.
With investment, The Greenridge could have been a very profitable pub - but as a long-term venture and would not bring in the quick buck that selling the site for development will bring them.
Instead, they have put in landlord after landlord that already have other pubs and so were not committed to the Greenridge. One only has to look at what has been done to other local Hall and Woodhouse pubs by comparison to see the difference. Of course it has not been supported - it has been run down, allowed to become dirty, unwelcoming and hasn't served a decent plate of food for years. Why would people support a pub like that? The brewery have wanted that to be the case to provide them with an excuse for selling it for development!
However that does not mean it cannot be run as a pub, that it does not provide a service for the community - because it does.
They have been approached by people who wanted to buy it from them and run it as a pub - but the brewery wouldn't even speak to them.
Upton residents should object to any planning applications on the site that do not simply return it to being the village pub that it should remain.
FletcherTheCat, The Sexy Beast says...
10:22pm Fri 2 May 08
What a load of rubbish.
The brewery have deliberately run the pub down because of the value of the land that it stands on.
With investment, The Greenridge could have been a very profitable pub - but as a long-term venture and would not bring in the quick buck that selling the site for development will bring them.
Instead, they have put in landlord after landlord that already have other pubs and so were not committed to the Greenridge. One only has to look at what has been done to other local Hall and Woodhouse pubs by comparison to see the difference. Of course it has not been supported - it has been run down, allowed to become dirty, unwelcoming and hasn't served a decent plate of food for years. Why would people support a pub like that? The brewery have wanted that to be the case to provide them with an excuse for selling it for development!
However that does not mean it cannot be run as a pub, that it does not provide a service for the community - because it does.
They have been approached by people who wanted to buy it from them and run it as a pub - but the brewery wouldn't even speak to them.
Upton residents should object to any planning applications on the site that do not simply return it to being the village pub that it should remain.
Robert Ratcliffe, poole says...
10:53pm Fri 2 May 08
Nick, Bournemouth says...
11:39pm Fri 2 May 08
FletcherTheCat,
The brewery have deliberately run the pub down because of the value of the land that it stands on .
If it was so good, why did only a few use it?
Christopher, Wallisdown & Winton West says...
1:38am Sat 3 May 08
The same happened to a pub on the outskirts of Blandford. Friends I knew well ran the pub. It was always busy, but again H&W decided it was not needed anymore, and a good price was offered for the land. There are now multi dwellings on this space of flats, and one and two bedroom properties.
H&W have been doing this for years.
L.U.C.A., Upton, Poole, Dorset says...
1:09pm Sat 3 May 08
Any written letters of support should be delivered by hand to the Community Centre before 9am on Tuesday morning.
Simon Thomson (L.U.C.A. Chairman)
PETE WOODLEY, says...
1:57pm Sat 3 May 08
L.U.C.A. wrote:GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL.
On Tuesday morning, I will be going up to the Brewery in Blandford and will be asking to speak to Mark Woodhouse, to find out why he thinks we should stand back and support his arrogant assumption that he knows what Upton needs, when he has not consulted the community. His company is destroying the focal point and the centre of our town and I for one will not stand by and whatch it happen.
Any written letters of support should be delivered by hand to the Community Centre before 9am on Tuesday morning.
Simon Thomson (L.U.C.A. Chairman)
Christopher, Wallisdown & Winton West says...
4:39pm Sat 3 May 08
L.U.C.A., Upton, Poole, Dorset says...
5:07pm Sat 3 May 08
For further information and to be kept up to date e-mail me, Simon Thomson on luca at dorsethallsdotorgdotuk
L.U.C.A., Upton, Poole, Dorset says...
5:08pm Sat 3 May 08
For further information and to be kept up to date e-mail me, Simon Thomson on luca at dorsethallsdotorgdotuk
FletcherTheCat, The Sexy Beast says...
7:16pm Sat 3 May 08
Robert Ratcliffe wrote:Sorry - not my fault. This buggy Echo site always does that when using Firefox. Having to defile myself and use IE to stop it happening.
Think we got you point the first time
FletcherTheCat, The Sexy Beast says...
7:17pm Sat 3 May 08
Nick wrote:It wasn't 'so good' because the brewery didn't want it to be any good. Simple really.
FletcherTheCat, The brewery have deliberately run the pub down because of the value of the land that it stands on .If it was so good, why did only a few use it?
It could have been very good, but that would have taken time and investment and not made them as much money as a land deal.
The travesty is that the building was not listed.
free wessex, dorset says...
7:17pm Sat 3 May 08
H & W's White Hart in High East Street are uncanny!
FletcherTheCat, The Sexy Beast says...
7:18pm Sat 3 May 08
L.U.C.A. wrote:Good luck - there's a Facebook group about The Greenridge.. it might be worth looking it up.
Thank you all for your support. It is much appreciated. For further information and to be kept up to date e-mail me, Simon Thomson on luca at dorsethallsdotorgdotuk
FletcherTheCat, The Sexy Beast says...
7:22pm Sat 3 May 08
Tiles from the roof of the Greenridge building have already been removed
This of course is an absolutely disgusting and cynical ploy by the brewery.
One might call it a scorced earth tactic - removing the tiles makes the building open to the elements. The interior will of course be ruined by rain which makes it all the more difficult to preserve the site as a pub.
paul, poole says...
9:24pm Sat 3 May 08
ali, Upton says...
11:37pm Sat 3 May 08
Christopher, Wallisdown & Winton West says...
12:04am Sun 4 May 08
godzilla, hamworthy says...
8:37am Sun 4 May 08
ps take care it doesn't suddenly catch fire
swampy, poole says...
10:48am Sun 4 May 08
Nick wrote:because the rest have been barred!
FletcherTheCat, The brewery have deliberately run the pub down because of the value of the land that it stands on .If it was so good, why did only a few use it?
Chris, UK says...
10:14pm Tue 6 May 08
Unfortunately more and more people enjoy socialising with friends in their own homes without any interference from the government smoking ban and the greed of the Pubcos.
L.U.C.A., Upton, Poole, Dorset says...
10:50pm Tue 6 May 08
I have received a number of telephone calls from local residents who have lived in the town all their lives. All these calls have been from people who are really upset that the Brewery have torn the heart out of the town and removed the last remaining icon of the old town they have grown up in. All this without being consulted.
Simon Thomson
Lytchett Minster and Upton Community Association.
joanna.ross, poole says...
9:53pm Wed 7 May 08
Andy80F, Upton says...
5:35pm Mon 12 May 08
As to plans to convert it to a Nursing Home, there were no applications for any development for the site just a couple of weeks ago and now that the roof has been removed rendering the building open to the elements it seems the the Brewery will be happy to sit back and let the building rot until further demolition is agreed to (removing the roof is demolition and there was no planning permssion for that). Where are the local councillors now that the village needs them. The Greenridge is the visible centre of Upton yet lies spoiled and becoming derelict. Crooked practices I suspect.
CAMPAIGN: Hall & Woodhouse's closure of The Greenridge pub in Upton has angered locals, including (from left) Shirley Benjafield, Simon Thomsom, chairman of Lytchett Minster and Upton Community Association and Simon Williams, chairman of Upton Heath Resid
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FletcherTheCat, The Sexy Beast says...
10:22pm Fri 2 May 08
What a load of rubbish.
The brewery have deliberately run the pub down because of the value of the land that it stands on.
With investment, The Greenridge could have been a very profitable pub - but as a long-term venture and would not bring in the quick buck that selling the site for development will bring them.
Instead, they have put in landlord after landlord that already have other pubs and so were not committed to the Greenridge. One only has to look at what has been done to other local Hall and Woodhouse pubs by comparison to see the difference. Of course it has not been supported - it has been run down, allowed to become dirty, unwelcoming and hasn't served a decent plate of food for years. Why would people support a pub like that? The brewery have wanted that to be the case to provide them with an excuse for selling it for development!
However that does not mean it cannot be run as a pub, that it does not provide a service for the community - because it does.
They have been approached by people who wanted to buy it from them and run it as a pub - but the brewery wouldn't even speak to them.
Upton residents should object to any planning applications on the site that do not simply return it to being the village pub that it should remain.