A popular pub on the outskirts of Nantwich looks set to re-open in May with the creation of 15 new jobs.
The Barbridge Inn, on Old Chester Road, closed in December of last year, a meeting of Cheshire East’s licensing act sub-committee was told.
The hearing had been called because five people had objected to some aspects of the proposed new licence during the consultation period.
Tracy Bebbington, licensing enforcement officer, said there had been just one complaint about the pub in the past and that was in 2023 and related to noise from a live music event held in a marquee in the beer garden.
Solicitor Piers Warne, representing applicant Punch Taverns, said the company was applying for a new premises licence because the existing one had lapsed following the death of the previous licence holder.
“Punch are looking to invest £400,000 into the pub,” he said. “It’s hoped that 15 jobs could be created by the site being re-opened as what Punch call part of their Fire Side Inns offer.
“Fire Side Inns is very much a community food-led pub offer.”
He said the new landlords were planning to move into the pub and live there with their children.
“They’re willing to make a very significant commitment to bring this pub up to the standard that we are asking of them,” said Mr Warne.
He said Punch was very pleased to see that residents, even those that had raised concerns, were keen to see the pub re-open.
Mr Warne said the concerns had mainly been around what happened at the festival in 2023 and the hours ‘which they saw as being quite late for this type of pub’.
He said when applying for the licence, Punch had originally copied the details of the old one which had lapsed, but since then had made amendments to cut back the hours following the concerns made by a few local residents.
No-one attended the hearing to object to the application, and the premises licence was granted by Cheshire East Council.
Excellent news! great in summer and good for food