New Clarence, Hull: Community plans for Yorkshire pub approved as owners lament 'needless battle'

Hull Community Pub Ltd’s plans to install four windows on the north side of the New Clarence, in Hull city centre’s Charles Street were approved by councillors.

Hull Community Pub Society Chair Simon Berry said the approval was an endorsement of their campaign, adding they were ready to talk about buying The New Clarence.

However, a spokesperson for developer and building owner Kingston Apartments, said they were confused about the group’s application which they said was causing a needless battle.

It comes after the developer said they would not sell the pub to the group after the latter raised £450,000 through crowd-funding and a Government grant to buy the building.

Hull Community Pub Society, formerly Save The New Clarence, successfully registered the building as an Asset of Community Value in August allowing it to bid for a £300,000 Government grant.

The group launched their campaign following the closure of the venue in June last year when owners Admiral Taverns put it on the market for £250,000.

Former landlord Ian Ibbetson said rising costs, staff shortages and the cost of living crisis had bought the industry to its knees at the time, but he and other former regulars rallied to see off Kingston Apartment’s plans for a 29-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO) application for NHS staff in September.

Two rival applications have since been submitted with the Hull Community Pub Society’s going before councillors who unanimously approved it last week. It would see windows reinstated on the John Street side of the building but it does not cover their wider plans to bring the pub back into use.

The application was backed by the Kingston Square Association, local St Andrew’s and Docklands ward councillors and 10 letters were submitted in support.

It is understood Kingston Apartment’s plans for a pub on the ground floor and convert the upper floors into a 20-bed HMO is set to go before councillors in June.

The developer’s revised plans were submitted in response to the campaign to save the pub which they said showed a venue there could be viable. A report from council planning officers stated the developer had indicated that they intended to sell the building to the authority in October.

Hull Community Pub Society indicated it intended to bid for the building and so the Asset of Community Value moratorium period began.

The Society offered to buy the pub for £251,000 but Kingston Apartments turned them down in April saying the sale would result in significant losses for them.

Mr Berry told councillors around 300 people had bought shares in their society which had helped to raise some of the money needed to buy it.

He added the society’s goal remained saving The New Clarence and established Hull’s first community owned and run pub.

The society’s chair said: “We’ve had significant levels of support for this, this started as a group of former regulars but has since extended well beyond that to other parts of Hull. The Government have awarded us a grant from the Community Ownership Fund, this will allow us to move forward.”

Domino Docker, who is also supporting the campaigners, said the community ownership model would make The New Clarence financially viable despite it struggling in the past.

She said: “There’s no rent to pay to a brewery and it would be run with the help of volunteers which would reduce staff costs. There’s 170 community pubs across the UK and none have closed as far as I know.”

Kingston Apartments’ spokesperson said their plans would save The New Clarence and provide much-needed accommodation for NHS staff, allowing the society to focus its efforts elsewhere.

The developer said: “We think the idea of a community owned and run pub in Hull is a fantastic idea, we are not wanting to derail their plans. However, we were quite confused and disturbed that The Hull Community Pub Society proceeded to lodge their planning application solely on The New Clarence, a building which we own.

“This application can in the midst of a well co-ordinated campaign to seemingly try and force us to sell the building. Rather than entering a needless battle against a genuine developer and with a well-intentioned development, we would suggest they use their obvious passion and vision to acquire and develop a different pub in the city – one which the owner actually wants to sell.”