<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 1;">RESIDENTS and businesses have slammed plans to turn a community pub into an 'unnecessary’ convenience store.

The Southern Co-operative says it intends to convert the former Royal Hunt pub into a new neighbourhood shop, if its applications for licensing and planning permission are approved.

But the proposal has outraged the local community, who are trying to save one of the last pubs in North Ascot. The pub closed its doors to punters in February and is the focus of a petition to have it made a community asset and save it from developers.

Roli Ranger has run the New Road Londis shop for more than 20 years and says a new Co-op store would ruin local shopkeepers.

He said: “We need to raise awareness of what the Southern Co-operative is trying to do. They have kept it quite quiet. No-one has really known what’s going on. We didn’t know if it was going to be a shop, restaurant or bar.

“The community is well served by Londis and Cost Cutter, another convenience store is just not needed.

“We’ve been serving the area for more than 20 years and this Co-op will just ruin local businesses. We need to stop these people who come into neighbourhoods and ruin livelihoods.

“Residents want it to stay as a pub. The petition must have had more than 400 signatures.” A spokesperson for Hawthorn Leisure, the owners of the building, said: "This property ceased trading as a pub in February of this year, and has since been converted and is operating as a general store.

"Southern Co-operative has held discussions regarding the possibility of leasing this property and further developing the store to suit the needs of the local community.” A spokesperson for Southern Co-operative confirmed the company hoped to lease the property, stating: “This is a developer-led application.

“If approved, the Southern Co-operative plans to lease the property to open a neighbourhood store, subject to planning and alcohol licensing approval.” If the premises is turned into a community asset, any proposed sale would be postponed for six months in order to give local groups a chance to get together a counter bid. But this still does not stop developers from buying the building afterwards.

Will Reading, a resident in Fernbank Road, is also against the Co-op’s plans.

He said: “It’s dreadful. We have got enough shops we don’t need another. All the pubs in North Ascot have gone now.

“I used to work in the Gold Cup and that’s missed. We need a good pub.” An application to sell alcohol at the proposed store in New Road from 8am to 11pm each day has been submitted to Bracknell Forest Council.

Objections need to be lodged in writing with the council before Thursday, June 4.

<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 1;">RESIDENTS and businesses have slammed plans to turn a community pub into an 'unnecessary’ convenience store.

The Southern Co-operative says it intends to convert the former Royal Hunt pub into a new neighbourhood shop, if its applications for licensing and planning permission are approved.

But the proposal has outraged the local community, who are trying to save one of the last pubs in North Ascot. The pub closed its doors to punters in February and is the focus of a petition to have it made a community asset and save it from developers.

Roli Ranger has run the New Road Londis shop for more than 20 years and says a new Co-op store would ruin local shopkeepers.

He said: “We need to raise awareness of what the Southern Co-operative is trying to do. They have kept it quite quiet. No-one has really known what’s going on. We didn’t know if it was going to be a shop, restaurant or bar.

“The community is well served by Londis and Cost Cutter, another convenience store is just not needed.

“We’ve been serving the area for more than 20 years and this Co-op will just ruin local businesses. We need to stop these people who come into neighbourhoods and ruin livelihoods.

“Residents want it to stay as a pub. The petition must have had more than 400 signatures.” A spokesperson for Hawthorn Leisure, the owners of the building, said: "This property ceased trading as a pub in February of this year, and has since been converted and is operating as a general store.

"Southern Co-operative has held discussions regarding the possibility of leasing this property and further developing the store to suit the needs of the local community.” A spokesperson for Southern Co-operative confirmed the company hoped to lease the property, stating: “This is a developer-led application.

“If approved, the Southern Co-operative plans to lease the property to open a neighbourhood store, subject to planning and alcohol licensing approval.” If the premises is turned into a community asset, any proposed sale would be postponed for six months in order to give local groups a chance to get together a counter bid. But this still does not stop developers from buying the building afterwards.

Will Reading, a resident in Fernbank Road, is also against the Co-op’s plans.

He said: “It’s dreadful. We have got enough shops we don’t need another. All the pubs in North Ascot have gone now.

“I used to work in the Gold Cup and that’s missed. We need a good pub.” An application to sell alcohol at the proposed store in New Road from 8am to 11pm each day has been submitted to Bracknell Forest Council.

Objections need to be lodged in writing with the council before Thursday, June 4.

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