'My heart is broken': Black Country landlady's devastation at fresh bid to turn pub into supermarket

Plans to turn The Old Chainyard in Coseley into an Asda supermarket were refused permission by Dudley Council in March this year following a campaign by residents and the local MP.

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The building's owner Red Oak Taverns subsequently lodged an appeal, which has yet to be heard, and now the company has lodged a fresh application to convert the building.

The application includes a new traffic report which it hopes will address the reasons why the previous application was turned down.

Miss Fisher, who took over the pub nine years ago, said she was heartbroken that the pub looked set to close, but did not plan to fight the plans any further.

She said the past 18 months had left her 'drained', and while she loved the pub, it was no longer viable.

"I have loved every minute, but the trade has been falling, and with rising costs, it's just too much," she said.

"It's not a pub, it's a family, but I have to step back and ask 'is it worth it?'"

Miss Fisher, who is 49, said she had been offered other pubs and jobs in the hospitality trade, but was not sure that she could face the heartache again.

"I'm just hoping that I will now be able to get to the end my lease which finishes next year, then I will look at what I do next.," she said.

"It's not a job, it's a way of life, and I love it with all my heart. It feels like I have fallen out with a long-time partner.

"My heart has been broken, and I'm not sure I can face falling back in love again with another pub."

The Old Chainyard has featured in the Campaign for Real Ale's Good Beer Guide for seven of the nine years since Miss Fisher took over, and has become known for its community events and regular beer festivals.

But in June last year the Red Oak pub company, which leases the pub to Miss Fisher, told her it had agreed a deal with Asda, subject to planning permission.

Almost 400 people signed a petition organised by customer Owen Cope opposing the previous application to turn it into a supermarket. 

He said: "I have been going to The Old Chainyard for years myself, and will miss seeing the life and soul of the Coseley area. Locals, regulars, and new customers alike will all miss this beloved pub."

A total of 39 written objections were received by Dudley Council, including one from Tipton and Wednesbury MP Antonia Bance. 

But Miss Fisher said, despite a loyal customer base, this support had not translated into business.

She said she did not have the buying power of the giant pub chains, and had to pay much more for her beer which had led to a fall in customer numbers.

"We have some lovely, very loyal customers, and if it wasn't for them we would have gone a long time ago," she said.

"If all the people who had said they wanted to keep the pub open bought just one pint, it would have been so much different."

"When I deal with the breweries, they tell me I can't have any money off, but then they will offer Wetherspoons a discount.

"Even if the Asda didn't go through, I'm not sure that a little business like mine are viable any more. People complain on Facebook that there isn't a butcher in Roseville any more, but if they had supported him when he was there, he wouldn't have closed.

"People complain when small businesses are lost, but they have to use them or they will lose them."

In March this year, Dudley Council's head of planning Carl Mellor turned down an application which would have seen the pub extended at the rear to provide 3,634 sq ft of floorspace.

Mr Mellor said it was not an efficient use of the site, and would have a detrimental impact on the appearance of the area. He also said it would present a risk to road safety, with insufficient car parking and unsatisfactory access.

A planning officer's report said that while the development would retain the early 20th century building, the removal of an internal staircase would render the upper floor inaccessible. The rear extension was out of keeping with the appearance of the site the report added.

The officer said such a development would normally require 24 parking spaces, but only made provision for 11.

"The proposal falls significantly short of the parking standards with a shortfall of 13 spaces and the potential for displacement onto the road is considered to pose a significant highway safety issue in this location," it said.

"The lack of parking, therefore, raises unacceptable highway safety concerns and the development."

John Corser, chairman of the Dudley and South Staffordshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale said the pub was an important community asset in the Coseley area.

"It is one of the few real ale pubs in the area, and serves an important role in putting on events in the local community," he said.

"It is well used by regulars and visited by Camra members from across the West Midlands and further afield."