Petition launched in bid to save Boldron's George and Dragon pub

VILLAGERS are standing together in a last ditch bid to save their 167-year-old pub.
Boldron’s George and Dragon Inn has closed and reopened a number of times in the past decade but owners Terry and Julie Race have decided enough is enough.
The couple want to convert the 19th century pub into a home but a band of residents have asked for more time to save it.
Villager Simon Baker has gathered 29 signatures urging the county council to register the pub as an asset of community value. He said: “It’s about buying a bit of time for the village, working together and seeing what is reasonable – we would like to give it the best opportunity to survive because once it is shut it will never come back.
“We’ve nothing against Terry and Julie but the pub has been here since 1850 and we would like to see it operating a bit longer.”
The couple took over the George and Dragon in 2006 and leased it out in 2010 after a period of slow trade.
Its tenants ran into financial difficulties three years later so the pair tried again in April 2014 – refurbishing the interior and re-opening the pub part-time with the help of villagers.
Mr Race told planners how the pub “had not been successful for many years” prior to their purchase, adding that a representative from pub sellers, Sidney Phillips, told him it was the lowest pub turnover he had ever seen.
“In our naivety and enthusiasm, we aspired to make the business a success,” he added.
“The few customers who do frequent the premises will be disappointed at our application and we fully understand this. Our own personal disappointment is equal if not greater than that which will be experienced by our customers.”
Villagers sympathised with Mr and Mrs Race but remained staunch in their defence of the pub.
Volunteer Harry Turner still opens up the bar on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
“We don’t want to do Terry down but we don’t want to see it go,” said Mr Turner.
“There is a reasonable number down on a Sunday night – I usually take £100-£150 over the bar.”
Villager Helen Ranner agreed with listing the pub as an asset.
“I do not think you would find anyone in the village who would prefer it to be a house,” she said.
“There were people who enjoyed cycling or walking up from Barnard Castle.
“If it bought us enough time for someone to make a go of it I think it would a worthy thing to do.”
Mr Baker added: “The point of view of the village is if you take the pub away you lose its heart.
“You only have to look at the Oak Tree in Hutton Magna which is not a dissimilar size and they have made it very successful.”
Listing the pub as an asset of community value would mean any community group would get six months to raise money for a bid.
However, owners are under no obligation to sell to the community group or to lower their asking price.
CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) has also objected to the conversion because the inn is the only pub in the village.
Ross Chisholm, who deals with planning issues for CAMRA, added: “Consideration of the application should be deferred to enable the county council’s viability test to be applied and to allow time for a bid to be made by either the local community or by a prospective purchaser.”
A decision on the conversion is expected on Friday, February 3.