Telford pub's 'hail Mary' rebranding plan backed by council committee

A Telford pub landlord says his venue is on the up after a major investment and backing from a council sub-committee.

Neighbours, the police, and council officials had objected to The Barley Mow in Court Street, Madeley, proposing amendments to its alcohol licence including regarding the layout of the pub and its events.

But a meeting heard that pub company Marston's has agreed to a more stringent set of conditions to help landlord Bill Haynes reverse the fortunes of the venue, which has recently “come on the radar” of local police.

Mr Haynes and his son Jake attended a hearing with Telford & Wrekin Council’s licensing sub-committee at Southwater One along with Marston's area manager Lee Marsh and solicitor Michelle Hazlewood.

His family has been running the pub for 12 years and the meeting heard that Mr Haynes is trusted by the company as the "right man for the job" of transforming the pub.

The meeting on Wednesday (October 14) was told that Marston's is investing more than £350,000 in the community pub to turn it into a Grandstand brand venue.

Wolverhampton-based Marston's has more than 1,300 pubs and inns across the country but only 35 - so far - of the new branded venues. It plans to have 200-300 Grandstands eventually, each one involving a investment, councillors heard.

Due to hold a 'soft launch' next Tuesday and fully reopen to the public on Wednesday, The Barley Mow will have a kitchen to offer food for the first time.

Michelle Hazlewood told the meeting the pub would broadcast sport programmes from TNT and Sky.

"It is not just for the lads," said the solicitor from law firm John Gaunt and Partners.

"It was attracting an increasingly difficult demographic.

"There had been a deterioration of the premises, people and behaviours."

The investment was intended to make the pub more welcoming to families, women and clubs in the community “rather than being a place that solely attracts male drinkers”, Ms Hazlewood said.

The meeting was told that the pub's sound system is being transformed to deal with noise inside and out.

Ms Hazlewood gave "humble apologies" for a pub Facebook post during the World Cup which encouraged punters to "come and cheer on England, belt out a tune, and give the neighbours something to complain about”.

She said such "maverick" posts would not happen again.

The committee was told that Marston's is now controlling social media posts to protect the reputation of its new brand.

But the company has "confidence" in Mr Haynes and a "really robust package that supports the licensing objectives”.

Neighbour Deb Norris, who is also a regular customer, said she had objected because of problems with noise.

But she added: "Bill is a great landlord.

"My only objection is to the outside part of the pub."

She offered to help the pub control its noise levels, which was accepted.

"I have no objections to the pub but want to be able to enjoy my own home.

"As long as everything goes as promised and we can work on the noise levels, that's all good."

Lee Marsh, Marston's area manager with 25 pubs under his wing, said: "We don't benefit from annoying our neighbours.

"It has been a difficult pub to run.

"We are spending nearly £400,000. It's a hail Mary and I am sure I will be shot if it doesn't work.

"It is a difficult demographic but we are doing everything we can to change this pub.

"We can't change what has happened but we are taking control.

"I can't afford to have it chalked off as a loss. We have got to step up and I think we are going to be OK."

PC Sharon Major, a West Mercia Police licensing officer, said: "This variation application could not have come at a better time.

"In the last six months the pub has come on my radar.

"I was just about to visit and suggest a variation in the licence then, lo and behold, this application came in."

The meeting heard that licence conditions had not been changed since 2005 and were in need of bringing up to date.

In less than 12 months there had been 16 incidents recorded including two alleged assaults, with Mr Haynes calling for support on some of the occasions.

PC Major said she hoped the new branding worked said the proposed conditions were “suitable and fair”.

In summary, Michelle Hazlewood said: "We've now got robust conditions to give them the rule book to stop the pub's deterioration.

"Where we are is not good enough but we will blossom and grow.

"There will be a cultural shift."

The sub-committee of three councillors agreed to the pub's licence being varied with a stronger list of conditions.

Councillor John Thompson (Labour, Wrockwardine Wood and Trench), chairing the committee, wished the pub "all the best in the future”.