Published: Thursday, 6th August, 2009 7:00am
Anglers campaign reels in big fish
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EmailPROTESTERS fighting to have The Jolly Anglers reopened have landed a big fish to back their campaign - a group of 80 MPs and members of the Lords.
Greg Mulholland, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Save The Pub Group (pictured), visited the closed Newtown inn to pledge his support for the Jollydarity campaign to reopen the pub.
Mr Mulholland, Lib Dem member for Leeds North, said: "We are trying to get the Government to wake up, to change planning law to stop pubs being able to close in the scandalous way this one was, with the landlord getting not even 24 hours' notice." He said pubs could be demolished or converted into shops and cafes without planning permission and said: "It's ridiculous."
Mr Mulholland met Reading publicans during Tuesday's visit and pledged to discuss The Jolly Anglers with the Campaign For Real Ale's national body.
The pub was owned by Enterprise Inns, which shut it abruptly on June 16 and sold it three days later to an unnamed buyer, whose agent told the Chronicle it came complete with a restricted covenant barring its future use as a pub.
Campaigners hope council planners will be able to block any applications to turn it into housing - which could force the lifting of the covenant.
Pub regular Colm Daly said: "It was a thriving pub. The closure is bad for our community."
The campaign has attracted local cross-party support, including from Reading East MP Rob Wilson.
Lib Dem Reading East parliamentary hopeful, Cllr Gareth Epps, said about the visit: "It is great to have another boost to the campaign and to be able to raise its profile on a national level."
Labour's candidate for the seat, Anneliese Dodds, added: "We are going to do out best to keep campaigning to keep this as a community pub and also protect our other pubs in Reading."
The Green Party's Rob White said the next event will hopefully be a morris dance later this month and added: "We've got a rolling programme to keep the campaign going and get the pub reopened."
