Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Fuggles coming to Tonbridge??
If the rumours are true, and they appear to be, the old Bonner's building near Church Lane is to become a Fuggles Beer, Wine, Whiskey and Gin Café. I'm informed that you are not required to drink them all on the same night although, thinking about it, it might be quite fun trying. I've never been to their bar, sorry Beer Café, in Tunbridge Wells but, if their pop-up at the Old Fire Station is anything to go by, then Tonbridge is in for a right treat. I love craft beers so I'll be like a pig in doo-dah. They have a choice of around a 100 different ones on a good night. Just down the road from Mr. Books as well. Talk about temptation! If culture is more your thing then there's the new art gallery, Artspring, right next door. Not sure when the café is opening but the sooner the better as far as I'm concerned....
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22 comments:
Nice if you live in one of the apartments on the first floor and above of the building. With no smoking area allocated in the plans other than standing in the front of the building, the residents wont be ble to open their windows unless of course they are smokers. And then there is the noise. TMBC need to turn this one down and Fuggles can look elsewhere for suitable premises.
looks to be true - planning notice on lamppost outside Bonners...
Presumably you live in one of these apartments, Anonymous, or are you just another do-gooder? Tonbridge is crying out for an establishment like Fuggles, and I for one can’t wait to see them opening in the town.
ps. I've already added my comments, in support of Fuggles' application, on the TMBC Planning Portal where, incidentally, you can also view the plans.
We can rely on TMBC planning committee to do the right thing and disregard all those letters of support from people that live nowhere near Bonners let alone Tonbridge. There are other properties vacant or soon to become vacant where there are no residents to be disturbed and plenty of struggling pubs in the area they could have approached.
Blimey, have I opened a can of worms with this one?...
Surely opening any entertainment establishment in a town centre would encounter the same issues and opposition from residents who live nearby. Does that mean that none should get the go ahead?...
TB there are sites in the town where the residents moved in after the entertainment business were established but that is not the case for the Bonners shop. If somebody tried to convert the house next door to you into a micro pub open until late with cars and deliveries coming and going ll day then I think you would object.
Bonners shop is the wrong place. THere are alternatives.
The pub business and beer drinking away from home is in decline so if another drinks establishment is opened it will put pressure on pubs like the Ivy house, the Chequers and the Man of Kent. Mojos seems to have gone already, and the 7 pub chain that includes the Chaser Inn in Shipbourne and the Little Brown Jug lost £281,000 last year.
Just for the record anonymous, on the TMBC Planning Portal in respect of the “Change of Use” for the Bonners building, there are 11 letters of support for Fuggles, and only one objection. The objection is on health (anti-alcohol) and religious grounds, (the café-bar should cater for Muslims and Buddhists!), plus a concern over litter. No mention is made regarding noise.
Whilst on that subject, the developers have submitted detailed proposals for an “acoustic barrier” between the ceiling of the proposed café-bar and the properties above. This will mitigate any noise generated by customers chatting whilst enjoying a drink below. All comments and documents relating to this application can be viewed on https://publicaccess2.tmbc.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=O8P7K7QHI6Z00
Time will tell as to who is right, but the council would be very foolish to turn down what is a carefully thought out and sound business proposal, which will enhance the High Street and attract the right sort of people to our town.
Perhaps you would rather see this shop lying empty anonymous, or converted into yet another hairdressers, charity shop or estate agent.
So there are 11 letters of support and only one comes from a High Street resident. One from Tunbridge Wells says as soon as trouble starts they deal with it! And I thought Fruggles only attracted the right sort of people. All sorts of people can be troublesome when they have had a few too many especially of strong ales. Most of the pubs in the town are not part of national chains so just because this application is from a small independent does not make it right at this location.
There aren’t many people who actually live in the High Street Anonymous, so it’s not really surprising the Council Planning Department has only received one letter marked with a High Street address.
I remain puzzled by your continuing one man campaign against Fuggles opening in the old Bonner’s shop. Do you live in one of the flats above the premises? I ask because I haven’t seen any objections from local residents allegedly affected by this.
Btw, why hide behind a cloak of anonymity? Why not comment under you own name? No-one will hold it against you.
I can easily set up a fake id so its a it pointless. there are plenty of places you can get you real/craft ale fix in Tonbridge already. Small pubs, specialist off licence and the supermarkets. Even Camra has put that chain pub the Humphrey Bean in their Good Pub guide. Failing that you have a choice of hundreds on one of the many online shops.
As I have said before, Bonners is the wrong place, lots of apartments above the shops in the area, in the buildings opposite and round the back. The pub market is in decline and opening another will only lead to the demise of one of the towns pubs.
you mention the decline of other pubs - well, the Castle and Hogshead have closed recently (plus the greyhound, pinnacles, etc out of town), the Punch have had their own ongoing issues and Mojo's, unsurprisingly, is in trouble again... All this has happened prior to this application. As for the other pubs you list, I would think that pulling people to the area will only act as a catalyst and help to enhance those businesses around it as we have already seen with the Old Fire Station. Certain pub types are in decline and have been for a large number of years mainly due to the cost of a pint making a regular trip prohibitive to many. However, if a newcomer sees a gap in this market which will enable them to buck the trend then, providing local residents are not affected, where's the problem? It's not a 'loud music' type pub and your claim that there would be deliveries all through the day is laughable really - most pubs I know get deliveries in the morning so they can deal with them before they open up to customers...
Brett its laughable that you did not read what I said about deliveries. Its not just deliveries outside the premises but also cars coming and going, yes deliveries will mainly be early but cars right up to closing time. Brett tell me were smokers are going to congregate, there is no provision in the plans. Have you no thought for the residents in the area. Most f the letters of support claim to be neighbors but they are not, they live streets away and are probable part of CAMRA campaign.
I am sorry but, what cars will be coming along outside the premises (apart from the usual high street traffic)? People visiting the premises would either walk or park in one of the car parks in town so there would be next to zero increase in traffic outside. Smoking, I agree on, there should be provision, but things don't seem to be too bad outside Alishan, Havat, Mama Mia, etc...
And, as for residents in the area - surely you don't move to a town centre flat surrounded by restaurants (and Ivy House, Man of Kent and Rose and Crown) and expect no impact?
As per Paul's comments, seems there is something else to this one-man(woman?) campaign against fuggles opening?....
I have been away for a few days (enjoying some excellent beer in the Netherlands), which is why I haven’t replied to Anonymous’s one person campaign against Fuggles proposed new outlet.
Brett has already responded to the points raised by this individual; which quite frankly are starting to border on fantasy, but I would like to dispel the myth of a CAMRA campaign in favour of Fuggles, by saying that whilst individual members may well have registered their support for this project, there is no co-ordinated campaign by the organisation. That is not how CAMRA works.
Frankly who gives a fuck. We have a perfectly functioning Wetherspoons in town, where you can purchase a perfectly good beer at a reasonable price.
Why would I need arrogant pricks like CAMRA to tell me what I should drink?
as far as I can tell (and Paul has backed this up) CAMRA have nothing to do with this (either the ownership or the planning application) and, anyway, isn't the Spoons in the Good beer guide?.... This is just a small independent opening up in town which, surely is the type of business that Tonbridge has been crying out for?....
Nicely put Brett, and btw Tim James, no-one is telling you what you should drink; “arrogant pr*cks” or otherwise!
Well permission granted. All you need to do now Mr Books is put up your prices so that you can afford the £9 per pint.
well, good news, license now granted so 100% going ahead... Will be a great addition to the town
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