Landlord loses battle with pub company

LANDLORD Mark Moran has lost a battle to stay on as licensee at Warrington’s Blackburne Arms pub.
The 40-year-old, who first visited the Orford Green pub when he was only nine – to play five-a-side football in the grounds – says he has been given between three days and two weeks to quit the premises.
In a message to regulars – who formed an action group to support Mark and his wife, Louise – he said: “Hopefully we can have a leaving drink some time – if they will let us.”
Mark and Louise took over the pub some 18 months ago after successive landlords had failed to make a go of it.
Locals had stopped using the pub because it had acquired a reputation of being a drugs den.
But Mark and Louise turned it back to a family pub – sinking £120,000 of their own money into the pub. The locals came back and a number of community and charity events were staged at the pub.
It had just started to show a profit when pub owners Enterprise Inns issued Mart and Louise with an eviction notice.
The couple took court action to fight the notice to quit – but lost.
Mark said: “At the end of the day, Enterprise don’t think we are good enough to run the pub even though we have turned the place into a family fun loving place again.
“We have between three days and two weeks to leave the pub. We want to thank everybody personally for all their support and dedication in trying to keep us in the pub.”
Members of action group Friends of the Blackburne Arms are furious.
Several have said they will follow Mark and Louise to any pub they move to.
Members of the pub staff have said they will quit rather than work for Enterprise Inns.
According to rumour, Enterprise plan to put in a management company to run the Blackburne Arms as a gastro pub.
But locals doubt if such a venture would be successful.
Cllr Mike Hannon, deputy leader of the borough council, who took up the cudgels in support of the action group, said: “I am really sorry to hear this news and would ask the pub company to reconsider, in view of the strength of feeling in the local community.
“Even if it is to become a gastro pub, it doesn’t seem to make sense to get rid of a landlord who has already turned the place round.”
Enterprise Inns were unavailable for comment.