Fear for Old Ferry Inn pub over housing plan

Punters in a riverside village are growing concerned their much-loved pub could soon be lost if plans to subdivide part of it for a house – for a second time – are approved. Regulars at the Old Ferry Inn in Bodinnick, near Fowey, fear for the future of their local pub after the owners applied to convert part of it into residential housing, which they believe would destroy its viability as a pub once and for all.

Owners Paul Worswick and Michael West have applied for a change of use to Cornwall Council to turn part of the pub into a house, saying it is the only way the pub can remain viable as a business. However, locals worry that further downsizing of the pub will lead to its eventual demise.

A design statement submitted by Andrew Thomas Architectural Consultants on behalf of the Old Ferry Inn said the reason behind the proposed development was due to the loss of trade over the past two years and increased staffing costs, and blamed Airbnb for the drop in visitor numbers. . They said the only way to save the pub was to downsize it.

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They said: “Trading has been very difficult at the Old Ferry Inn and across Cornwall since the pandemic. In 2022, our occupancy is down 40% and our food and drink is down a similar amount.

“Visitor numbers have dropped significantly in Cornwall and there has been a huge increase in Airbnbs in Cornwall which has had a significant impact on our business. In the last two years, the cost of hiring staff has increased a lot and since the beginning of the pandemic there has been an exodus from the hospitality trade.”

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They added: “The cost of living crisis has hit us both in falling trade and significantly increasing food, drink, utility and interest costs. We are trading at a loss and need to find a way to set up the inn. in a sustainable way”.

As part of the proposal, the 1960s extension would be taken and sold as a private house, which would leave the inn’s original four rooms intact, with the bar area continuing to operate, but five rooms would be lost. The scheme (PA24/02259) received 165 objections.

Frequent visitor to the area, Lesley Arnett wrote: “The Old Ferry Inn has undergone substantial changes in the last few years, unfortunately to its detriment. Now only part of the original building is used as a public house/restaurant/guest rooms. it has already been granted for part to be converted to residential use. This further application will deny visitors any view of the River Fowey and Fowey.”

Local Tyler Rubidge said: “The Old Ferry Inn is a vital community asset and this proposal will jeopardize its future viability by reducing it to less than a third of its original size. The pub plays an important economic factor in a small rural community that employs. locals, but also attracting visitors to the area has successfully contributed to the economy of Bodinnick for centuries.”

Penny McBride added: “The community needs space to meet and socialise. There is no other pub for miles on this side of the river. Community assets in rural areas need to be preserved and are particularly important in the winter months when people can feel more isolated.”

Campaign For Real Ale (Camra) Kernow also got involved. A campaign spokesman said the Old Ferry Inn was acquired by its current owners in 2021, but their plans to turn the 400-year-old pub into a boutique hotel had not worked out, so the they changed their business model after reopening in March 2023. albeit with much reduced hours.

The spokesman added: “The inn is situated on the famous Hall walk and has a lot of visitors passing by but is usually closed. In 2022 they requested the conversion of part of the building into a residential dwelling. This permission was granted and the locals were told it was the only option to keep the business viable.

“The landlord has yet to sell this part of the pub although he has completed building work. However, another application has been submitted with the intention of dividing the pub further, leaving a small bar and family room, while the rest of the pub is fabulous. Riverside views is converted into another residential dwelling. This will destroy the viability of the pub.

“Amazingly the pub is not listed. Locals who use the pub regularly made their objections clear and the landlord told them to make a bid to buy it. Those who use and love the pub are keen to gather as much support as possible. as possible to save this vital community asset. They are a rural community and there isn’t another pub for miles.”

They added: “There has been a ferry across the Fowey Estuary at Bodinnick since at least the 14th century. Perhaps much longer, for it carried the old coast highway from Cremyll on the Tamar – one of the three major routes that ran east to west through Cornwall from ancient times.

“Bodinnick exists as a settlement because of this ferry crossing. And passageways everywhere throughout history have had their attendant inns—or “wayhouses.” Here the people took shelter while they watched and waited for the boat, and the weary travelers stuck in the fault. weather or nightfall might find refuge The Old Ferry Inn in Bodinnick continues that ancient tradition.