MORE than 130 people attended a meeting at the Crabshell Inn on Monday evening to discuss the future of the Kings Arms in Kingsbridge.

People squeezed in to every corner, with late-comers gathering on the stairs to listen to six speakers discuss the impact the closed hotel has had on the town, and what can be done to spur the current owners into action.

A petition circulating throughout the town has now attracted more than 500 signatures - calling on Motcomb Estates to ‘work with the local community to restore the Kings Arms to its historic role as a focal point in the town.’

Rosemary Dunstan, one of the organisers of the meeting, opened the event. She disputed the assessment from the owners, Motcomb Estates - agents of the Reuben brothers, that the top of Kingsbridge is dead. She drew attention to newly opened businesses Stark, Bumbles and Horizons as proof that there is life at the top of Fore Street.

Ms Dunstan went on to mention that since the hotel has been closed, it has been broken into twice, cars have been vandalised in the car park and is a potential fire hazard.

To cheers, she finished by saying: ‘We need a hotel. All we’re saying is it’s for the town to decide!’

It was through Ms Dunstan’s persistence that the town managed to receive a response from the owners of the hotel, after she requested Totnes MP Dr Sarah Wollaston to make contact on the town’s behalf. This followed about 18 months of silence from the Reuben brothers and their agents, with several letters being sent from the town council, district and county councillors.

Last week, Humphrey Voelcker from Motcomb Estates wrote letters to Dr Wollaston, Kingsbridge and Salcombe Chamber of Commerce and town mayor Cllr Wayne Grills requesting a meeting, stating: ‘We were extremely disappointed to see the article regarding the Kings Arms in the online edition of the Gazette. We stated we were open to discussions and highlighted that it is not in our interest to have a closed property.

‘We were therefore surprised as to why there was no reply to either letter encouraging further dialogue, especially when there is so much attention focused on the Kings Arms.’

However, district and county councillor Rufus Gilbert said he has now written to Mr Voelcker to question why he wasn’t invited to the meeting - being a district councillor on the planning committee - and to take issue with their claims of a lack of dialogue, saying: ‘Motcomb Estates submitted a pre-planning enquiry in April 2015 which officers then discussed with them. They were informed that an application for 100 per cent housing would be unsuitable - but that consideration would be given to a mixture of commercial and residential space. We were hoping to receive a planning application following this, but are yet to hear anything.’

At the meeting, Cllr Gilbert warned: ‘We should remember we’re not the only Kings Arms in the country. We’ll keep going, but be warned, they are tricky people to deal with. They are a hard bunch and know the value of money.’

Angela Taylor, representing the Cookworthy Museum gave a brief history of the hotel, explaining that there had been a meeting place on the site for centuries, originally known as Church House, before it opened as the Kings Arms in 1775. Interestingly, she drew attention to the ballroom being built in 1777 and again renovated in 1809 through public subscriptions from local residents.

Irene Jeeninga, former mayor and a trader from the top of town said the effect the closed hotel has had on nearby businesses is difficult to measure, but that it certainly has an effect on the ‘experience’ of the town. She said: ‘All businesses work together to form the town centre, and the Kings Arms just isn’t contributing to this.’

Viv Napper from the South Hams Society lamented the loss to the music scene mentioning how much the Kings Arms was valued as a venue by local musicians.

While Simon Harrow relayed his own experiences of bringing the Crabshell back to life - explaining how lucky he was to have someone with the money to buy the freehold and see the potential in the pub.

However Mr Harrow was sceptical that the Kings Arms could ever be brought back to life, saying: ‘As a venue it won’t meet expectations without £2 - 3 million being spent on it, with associated planning applications and it being closed for two years.’

This view was echoed by Nigel Way, owner of the Royal Castle in Dartmouth and the Seven Stars in Totnes, who has been linked to the Kings Arms in the past. Mr Way wasn’t at the meeting, but told the Gazette this week: ‘It’s in such a state of disrepair that it’s just not an economic proposition to turn it into a viable hotel operation. I was led to believe they’d sell the freehold, although would rather sell the lease. I think Kingsbridge needs a decent hotel, but the Kings Arms might not make sense.’

After the speakers, an open discussion followed, with many people having opinions and ideas to share. Nick Hurst, a local resident, said he’d looked into the business practices of Motcomb Estates: ‘They put up rents on their pubs to prohibitive levels, eventually forcing tenants out due to the business being unviable. The building then lies empty for a time, slowly deteriorating before being turned into flats.’

Mr Hurst added: ‘The solution is to make them an offer for the freehold - as this is the only way people will put serious money into the refurbishment.’

Peet Leather called on people to ‘make them listen at a national level, to form a pressure body. Once you start the ball rolling, if everyone wants something to happen, it will - it just needs that strength of feeling.

‘If we’re afraid of the Reuben Brothers, it won’t change anything. We should stop being frightened and start moving things.’

Reflecting on the meeting, and explaining where next for the campaign, Alison Murdoch said: ‘The strength of feeling was quite obvious. We now want to form a small working group of people to reflect the ideas suggested at the meeting. If anyone wants to join, they’d be most welcome. We’re looking for people with expertise in legal, planning, architecture, finance and business aspects to join the campaign.’

In a letter to the Gazette this week, Alison Murdoch wrote: ‘Are we content to let the Kings Arms decay in front of our eyes, in the hands of an absentee landlord with no long-term interest in the town? Or, are we willing to jointly create and drive forward a fresh vision for the Kings Arms that is both economically viable and meets the needs of residents and visitors?

‘In a town that funded its own leisure centre, recently regenerated its parks, and wins national awards for its horticulture, we are confident that the residents of Kingsbridge have sufficient ingenuity, skills and experience to save one of its most iconic and historic buildings.'As Margaret Mead said: 'Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.'For further information on the Save the Kings Arms campaign, visit the website www.savethekingsarms.org.uk, or contact Rosemary Dunstan at [email protected].