Community group members left ‘devastated’ by pub home plans

A community group formed to prevent the loss of their beloved community pub has been forced to admit defeat after a planning application was submitted for the site.

Manchester Developments North West Limited have applied for permission to demolish the Penny Farthing on St Anne’s Road and to replace it with five new semi-detached houses.

It’s a bitter blow for the almost 350-strong ‘Save the Penny Farthing’ group, who fought against the pub’s closure since brewery Thwaites announced their plans in April.

The group thought they’d had a breakthrough back in July when they formed a community group and looked to take it the pub themselves.

However, they stopped fundraising and withdrew their application once a buyer came forward who was looking to continue operating part of the site as a pub. 

Satisfied with the plans, they withdrew their objections to allow the sale to go ahead. However, the purchase was never completed and left the pub with no community protections and ultimately the group had no time to fundraise.

‘Save The Penny Farthing’ organiser John Leech said the whole fiasco has left him feeling “duped” and he says he believes there were other forces at play. 

“I’m absolutely devastated. It was the worst news ever for all of us. We still all feel duped by Thwaites the brewery.

“Us locals are all devastated because we’ve lost our community pub. 

“The older members of the group, they’ve now got no quality of life because they won’ t go anywhere. They just don’t go out now. It’s a real shame.

“I wish Thwaites, as a family run brewery, would listen to the families that use the pub.

“Every time we see someone when we go out people ask where it’s up to. It’s still the topic of everyone’s conversation.”

Earlier in the year Denton and Reddish MP Andrew Gwynne had even joined the calls for a community take over at the time - the Penny Farthing being his local too.

Tameside Council will now consider the planning application.