Town pub set for takeaway conversion

A town centre pub could become the latest in a Staffordshire town to be lost to the history books, with a Chinese takeaway set to replace it.

The Pig & Bell, in Market Street, Rugeley, is shut and an application to convert it to a takeaway has been submitted to Cannock Chase Council.

Skipton-based company Fong & Sons Ltd has applied to redevelop the pub, which closed around a year ago.

The Lichfield and Staffordshire branches of Campaign for Real Ale today spoke out about the number of pubs in the town being lost.

The owners of The Prince of Wales in Rugeley, which is still operating, announced earlier this month plans to sell off some of the car park to JM Homes Ltd. The firm wants to build nine two-bedroom homes on top of the parking area.

In August, one of the town's landmark pubs, The Britannia, opened as a veterinary practice.

The Britannia had been boarded up for more than two years.

Mike Hawker, secretary of the Heart of Staffordshire Campaign for Real Ale, and Martin Warrillow, a spokesman for the Lichfield, Sutton and Tamworth branch, spoke of their dismay at the demise of the pub trade. Mr Hawker said: "We always want to see every pub saved but it is not always possible."

Mr Warrillow said a combination of the smoking ban, beer tax and low supermarket prices were hitting the pub trade.

He said: "It's certainly something that does concern us, you are talking about 20 pubs closing a week." Angela Grove, from Cannock Chase Council's planning department, said the proposed change of use would bring a vacant building back to life.

And Chris Green, chairman of Rugeley Traders, said: "I think it is a good thing that these run down, old pubs are being reopened and used as something else. Things inevitably have to change and the shift now in pubs is more family orientated."