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20 pubs call last WIN

Evening Post, Thursday, October 29, 2009

Museum
challenge
hots up... One of four family

orders in a year
● From Page 1
tickets to see Joseph
by its chief executive Steven at the Charter
Broomhead who says he will
be giving no cash for a move.
Today Preston Council
Theatre, Preston
deputy leader Coun Eric
Fazackerley said: “We have
been up front with Preston’s
bid, so why isn’t Manchester?
“This is bound to make the
public suspicious, especially
Back street boozers face a battering
if there’s no information.”
The museum’s founding
chairman Bryan Gray added:
“If they are going to make
some proposals, they need to
be very open about it. I have
not seen any details and they
need to say very clearly what
their proposal is.”
Speaking of last Friday’s
cancelled meeting, Coun
Hudson said: “As far as the

trustees were concerned they
had the facts they needed and
a proposition which guaran-
teed its future in Preston.
“I can’t see why Paul Der-
mody is hell-bent on trying
to find a reason to take it
from Preston. When the mu-
seum stays in Preston, his
role has to be questioned.
“The thing that concerns
us is why they never came to
us in the first place.When
they had a £400,000 shortfall,
you would think they would
come to the people closest.”
A museum spokesman dis-
missed Coun Hudson’s com-
ments about Mr Dermody,
adding the meeting was can-
celled following legal advice.
He said: “The decision
made by the management and
trustees was that they needed
more time to deliberate.”
Officially, the council is
saying: “Manchester City
Council was initially ap-
proached by the National
Football Museum and en-
couraged to consider reloca-
tion to Manchester at Urbis.
“We have put a proposal
to trustees of the National
Football Museum and await
their decision. It would
therefore be inappropriate
for us to comment further.”
● LEADING business news-
paper the Financial Times is
backing Preston’s bid for the
National Football Museum.
UK business and employ-
ment editor Brian Groom
said the attraction should stay
in the city in light of the pub-
lic’s reaction to a possible
move to Manchester.
MORE than 20 pubs and bars
in the city have lost their
booze licences in the past 12
months.
Today experts blamed the figure –
the highest in three years – on a bat-
tering by competitive supermarket
pricing and the smoking ban.
The official statistics released by the
Government show that pubs, particu-
larly back street boozers, are the hardest
hit.
And Preston has suffered more than
anywhere else in Lancashire – and is
ranked well inside the top 10% of the
383 local authorities surveyed across
England and Wales.
In 2006/7 15 premises lost their li-
censes and in 2007/8 a further 17 had
them revoked, forfeited, suspended or
surrendered.
Yet the number of actual licensed
premises in the city has actually in-
creased – believed to be thanks to a rise
in the number of off-licences.
There are now 138 premises licensed
exclusively for off-sales in the city, an
increase of 32 in two years.
Lee Le Clercq, the British Beer and
Pub Association’s regional secretary,
said: “If you look at the effects of the
by Matthew Squires
matthew.squires@lep.co.uk
smoking ban it was always going to af-
fect a particular type of pub.
“The sort of pub that is like the
Rover’s Return in Coronation Street,
that is the classic example of a pub that
was always going to be hit badly.
“Preston is an area which is perhaps
less affluent than other areas. There are
a lot of pubs in deprived areas.
“It is the community pubs, the rural
and suburban pubs which have been the
worst affected.
“Supermarket sales practice is clos-
ing pubs, there is no doubt about that.”
Ray Jackson, of the Campaign for
Real Ale in Lancashire, said: “Preston
always seems to be at the forefront of
pub closures. It is money, it is the smok-
ing ban – it is the age old list of why pubs
are not doing so well.
“Obviously with city centre pubs peo-
ple come in for the weekend but they
won’t go to the backstreet boozers.
“It is people who live in the commu-
nity area who support those and per-
haps they can’t afford it.”
The Lost Pubs Project currently de-
tails 60 establishments which have
closed down permanently in Preston.
wow!
See tomorrow’s
THE website Lost Pubs Project
has identified these pubs as just
a few of dozens which have re-
cently ceased operating as pubs
in the city.
Avenham Park, Avenham Lane
Balmoral; Manchester Road.
Carters Arms, New Hall Lane
Cricketers Arms, Broadgate
Drovers, Aqueduct Street.
Duke Of Kent, Kent Street
Duke Of Sussex, Kent Street
Fighting Cock, Marsh Lane,
above
The Fountain, Fylde Road.
The George, Church Street.
Golden Cross, Lancaster Road
Hornby Castle, Brook Street
Keystone Inn, Brook Street
The Limekiln, Aqueduct Street.
The Mitre, Garstang Road
Mr Pickwicks, Meadow Street
Neptune, Strand Road
North Star Inn, Hawkins Street.
Old England, Ribbleton Lane
Old Sumners, Deepdale Road
The Plough, Blackpool Road
Princess Alexandra, Fylde Road
Queen Adelaide, New Hall Lane
Stephensons Arms, East Street.
Watering Trough, Fylde Road
Witts End, Moor Nook

Leader denies quote

MANCHESTER Council leader Sir
Richard Leese has denied making com-
ments to the Manchester Confidential
website claiming he is “88% certain” the
National Football Museum is on the move.
Sir Richard also disputed a quote saying
the Northwest Development Agency ap-
proached Manchester first about becom-
ing the attraction’s new home.
NWDA chairman Steve Broomhead
later said he had written to museum
trustees to make it “clear they could not
provide capital support for either party”.
Asked where the 88% line came from, a
spokesman for Sir Richard said: “We do
not know where the quote (on Manchester
Confidential) has come from.”