IMPORTANT MESSAGE CONCERNING THE FUTURE OF THE ROSCOE HEAD
Liverpool and Districts CAMRA Committee met to consider the purchase by New River Retail (NRR) of 158 pubs from Punch Taverns that includes the Roscoe Head and Saddle Inn on Dale Street.
- CAMRA representatives met on Wednesday last with Councillor Nick Small who informed us that he is urgently pursuing with Liverpool City Council the registration of the Roscoe Head as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) under the Localism Act. This allows a “cooling off period” when the community can help decide the pub’s future e.g. would they wish to purchase it. We are pleased with Cllr Small’s intervention and urge the Council to move forward with this ACV as quickly as possible. Cllr Small has also instigated a petition at Change.org which has received over 1200 signatures and is currently being disseminated via social media.
- Carol Ross, the licensee of the Roscoe Head sought on a number of occasions to buy the pub from Punch Taverns and it is regrettable that they now are selling the pub to NRR. We now urge NRR to offer the Roscoe to Carol at an appropriate cost. This will give Carol the opportunity to develop the Roscoe in the way she would wish i.e. as a thriving and successful business. We note the ongoing development in the immediate vicinity and the expansion of student numbers in Liverpool. This can only help support what is already a successful pub. Historically, The Roscoe Head is one of ONLY FIVE PUBS in the whole of Great Britain that have been in EVERY edition of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. It is an icon and a national treasure.
- CAMRA agreed a number of action points. Essentially, these will involve a vigorous media campaign involving local, regional and national CAMRA officers. We will be writing to local newspapers and offering interviews on radio and television. We encourage all in Liverpool who care about our pub heritage to sign Cllr Small’s petition. Please also write to your local councillor and Member of Parliament. Councillors and MP’s react strongly when faced by a large volume of correspondence. Write also to the non-Executive Chairman of New River Retail, Paul Roy, urging the company to agree to sell the pub to its long term licensee, Carol Ross. Finally, give your support to other campaigns and protests that may be mounted to save the pub. The local press will have details as they emerge. We note that NRR expects “to deliver exceptional cash on cash returns and attractive capital growth through asset management and development. We are confident that this acquisition will add significant long term value for our shareholders." We say this is best achieved by retaining the Roscoe as a pub and selling it to Carol. The appropriate solution and the most sensible one for all concerned."
- Further details of the campaign will be included in the next edition of MerseyAle which will be available in pubs from next week"
