The fight to stop the last pub on a Stockton estate being converted into a children’s nursery has been successful – just a week after the campaign to save it was launched.
Stockton Borough Council has confirmed that they will refuse a request to set aside a covenant on The Sheraton on the Hardwick Estate which restricts the building’s use to a public house.
Stockton North Labour MP, Alex Cunningham, and local councillors Norma Stephenson and Nigel Cooke, backed the campaign at a public meeting and immediately requested the Council to refuse to alter the covenant.
The decision was welcomed across the area.
Alex said:
“For an estate the size of Hardwick, which has undergone a major transformation in recent years, to lose its last pub would be a major blow to the community. Nigel, Norma and I are delighted that the Council recognised the strength of feeling on the estate and acted quickly to sort the matter out.”
They know, however, that there is still a need for additional nursery capacity in the area and the Borough Council will work with local organisations to find the right kind if accommodation.
Alex added:
“I understand that the pub owners hadn’t planned to close the pub and sell it but, having been approached, agreed to a sale. Now it is up to the people of Hardwick to show their support for their local pub and ensure that it is well used.”
