1,400 so far sign petition against Wolverhampton pub's Toby change - operator lodges revamp plans
Almost 1,400 supporters of a campaign to prevent a Wolverhampton watering hole from becoming a Toby Carvery have so far signed an online petition.
The Cleveland Arms, in Stowheath Lane in Moseley, is set to undergo a £1.5 million transformation when it temporarily shuts the doors on July 29. Operators Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) said the proposals represent a positive investment to improve the quality of the facilities and support the current offering to customers by enhancing the public house’s overall functionality and supporting the building’s long-term viability. The pub name will be kept.
It has submitted plans to Wolverhampton Council for an extended yard, new lighting at the front entrance, floodlights, wall and rope lighting, planters, a timber frame walkway canopy, a new chiller and freezer, new storage units, new extractor fans and a new tarmacadam area to match the existing car park.
A planning statement by Mitchells & Butlers agent Boyer stated: "This application seeks approval for various external works to the main building at the Cleveland Arms. The proposed alterations have been designed to preserve and respect the historic fabric of the existing public house whilst providing much needed updates to provide patrons with a better customer experience to support the site’s viability.
"All works proposed have been subject to careful consideration and shall not have any adverse impact on any features of historic significance. The scheme has therefore been sensitively designed to sympathetically integrate with the existing arrangements and intends to enable the current operations to be carried out in a more effective manner."
"In terms of the principle of development, the proposals will not result in the loss or negatively impact upon the functioning of the pub, rather it will provide a refresh of the building’s exterior. The planning history demonstrates that previous works have been deemed acceptable, and this proposal builds upon that. The scheme simply looks to make more efficient use of the current space on site to enhance the overall customer experience and in doing support the Cleveland Arms long-term vitality and viability.
"For the avoidance of doubt the works proposed to the building are limited in nature and do not adversely affect any overall aesthetic appearance of the Cleveland Arms in anyway.
"The proposed alterations will clearly retain the existing character of the pub, and there is no change in use or aspect of development that would potentially detract from the existing fabric of the building. The overall scale of the development also remains proportionate to the existing building and sympathetically responds to the character of the pub along with that in the immediate surrounding area. On that basis the proposed scope of works are limited those necessary to improve the overall function of the existing pub and in doing so shall contribute to the economic vitality of the local area.
"The public benefit from this proposed development - secures optimum viable use as a public house with layout improvement and modernisation only where necessary to meet modern day expectations in support of its long-term conservation; and by virtue of the above, the proposed works are deemed acceptable and will sustain the long term prosperity of the existing pub which provides a valuable service to the local community."
Almost 1,400 supporters have so far signed an online petition to retain the pub as a community local.
Jane Hancock, of Save the Cleveland Arms, has criticised M&B for a lack of consultation with customers over the switch from the Sizzling Pubs brand to Toby. The campaigner organised a protest and has called on supporters to lodge objections to the planning application at Wolverhampton's planning department.
