Powys: The Cottage pub in Montgomery under threat

A recent application has been made to Powys County Council to turn the Cottage pub – which dates to the 18th Century – into a four-bedroom property leading to local community groups organising to save the building and “strong objections” being raised by Montgomery Town Council.

One of the organisers, Keith Williams, said the proposition was “quite simply wrong”.

“As more and more pubs close across the country, it becomes all the more pertinent to keep those we still have alive – especially those which have been around for a long time and are such a strong part of community social life," he said.

"Allowing The Cottage to be turned into a residential property just puts the profit motive over the needs of a community.

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“The ripples caused by closing businesses like this are considerable for small towns. Currently, there are 37 new houses being built right on its doorstep and The Cottage is the only remaining pub in that part of town.

“Thriving towns need hospitality outlets, or they risk becoming dormitory towns. Montgomery has a strong, tightly-knit community where anyone will help out and lend a hand. These relationships are forged in places like The Cottage. If they disappear, so does that sense of belonging and community.”

The Cottage

Mr Williams said that after setting up the Save the Cottage Facebook group “the ball started rolling”.

“I set up the Facebook group on Friday afternoon. Within the first hour there were over 40 members. After 48 hours the were over 250 members and it is still growing.”

Mr Williams says the group is asking people “to support the refusal of change of use. We just need as many individuals as possible to write in to planning and support The Cottage remaining a valued and necessary part of Montgomery life.”

The group want to look into turning the Cottage into a community pub should the application be denied, although the short-term plan is simply to prevent its change of use.

In a statement Montgomery Town Council said: “Our primary concern lies with the change of use to this important community facility and the misrepresentations evident in the Planning Statement. The Town Council wishes to object strongly to this application.”

The council accused the plans of misrepresenting the purpose of the building and said: “First and foremost Council would wish Planning Officers to be aware that this was a licensed Public House and the term Visitor Centre was used purely as a marketing tool.

“Any implication by the applicant that this was not a Public House is completely erroneous.”