Meon Valley MP Flick Drummond has visited a pub in Wickham that is threatened with being turned into flats to show her support for the business continuing.
She met with the landlords of the Roebuck Inn, Ollie and Sara Pollard-Dambach and owner Peter Rogers, to see how the pub at Kingsmede on the Droxford Road has been changed after being closed for six months until last month.
The couple are now in negotiations with Peter to look at securing its future and 15 full and part-time jobs. To support them he has agreed a three-month rent-free period so they can make the business viable.
Work is taking place to reopen as a B&B and pub, plus a host of theme nights like pie night, curry night, and a quiz night to bring in customers.
“I really do admire Sara and Ollie for what they are doing to make a success of this pub during these incredibly difficult times,” said Fick.
“It really is a case of use this pub or lose it and I do hope the community rallies around and frequents it in the numbers needed to make it a viable business.
“The owner is very supportive and more than happy to see it remain as a pub but it needs to be a viable business. Sara and Ollie are doing all they can while they have a rent-free period to do this. My message is: go there and support this community asset. I will certainly be dropping in again.”
