A Reading landlady whose pub is at risk of closure says they’ve lost hundreds of bookings and are at risk of closing due to council building works.

Cigdem Atkins, 49, who runs the popular Fisherman’s Cottage Pub on the River Kennet, has criticised Reading Borough Council for a lack of support over the issue.

READ MORE: https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/23839529.reading-riverside-pub-faces-closure-due-councils-plan/

As previously reported, the council has closed off access to the pub for “essential repair works”, making getting to the riverside pub difficult and allegedly leaving the venue missing out on crucial passing trade.

The building works are taking place on the path that crosses in front of the pub, limiting footfall to the establishment. 

Initially, Cigdem says she was told the building work would take weeks but now it is set to last three months which she fears could be the end of the pub.

Since the building work started to strengthen and stabilise the riverside retaining wall, the pub has lost significant business.

After speaking out to the Chronicle earlier this month, Cigdem says someone from the council visited the venue. 

Mrs Atkins explained that a member of the council and the building site manager visited her pub to discuss how they could help.

They told her that they would put up signs saying that local businesses were still open, but this was over a week ago and no such signs have materialised.

She said: “They just have signs saying that the area is shut, nothing to do with our pub.”

Mrs Atkins has lost all her Christmas bookings due to people not being able to reach The Fisherman’s Cottage.

She said: “We usually get loads of bookings from workers at The Oracle, but they said it would take an extra 35 minutes to get to us.”

When she explained this in the meeting, the building site manager apparently told her to ask her customers to move their bookings to after Christmas.

“I was like, how long have you lived in this country?” Mrs Atkins said. “Why would people move their Christmas bookings to January?”

Mrs Atkins said that the member of the council then suggested that she “go on holiday” for the duration of the building work, which is set to finish on December 22.

“Who will pay the bills?” Mrs Atkins said. “I cannot completely shut down for three months.”

Business at The Fisherman’s Cottage Pub is still very slow, with almost no customers visiting in the daytime.  

Mrs Atkins told The Chronicle that she has lost £10,000 so far due to lack of business and is having to pay almost £6000 in licensing fees.

A spokesman for the council has said: "We appreciate the short-term disruption the works are causing. There is no additional relief that can be granted by Reading Borough Council beyond the existing 75% retail relief currently being applied."

They continued: "We have advised the owners to consider contacting the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) directly to see if they would consider a temporary reduction to the Business Rates Rateable Value for the period the business is affected by the work."

"Four signs stating that the pubs on Kennetside remain open for business as usual have also been put up to help ensure residents and visitors are aware."

People can access The Fisherman's Cottage via the main road at cemetery junction. Their car park postcode is RG1 3HJ.