The Old Bear Inn pub in Staverton closes after roadworks

The Old Bear Inn on the B3105 at Staverton was hit by a £500,000 project last year which saw old and decaying cast iron mains pipes replaced.

Now High Court enforcement officers from Wilson & Roe in Salford, Manchester, have pinned a notice on the pub door banning people from entering the premises.

The enforcement notices posted on the front door of The Old Bear at Staverton. Image: Trevor Porter 70601-1 (Image: Trevor Porter)

The notice says: “Any attempt by you or your agents to enter these premises will result in criminal or civil proceedings being taken against you.”

The company, which is a certified enforcement agent, is acting on behalf of local landowner Laurie Bird, who owns The Old Bear Inn.

The Wiltshire Times has been unable to contact the tenants or Mr Bird for comment.

The tenants were given until Tuesday, February 27 to take delivery of any goods they left behind. It is not known whether they managed to collect them.

Mr Bird now has the right to dispose of any items they left behind inside his property and a second notice says: “If the goods are disposed of, the involuntary bailee intends to retain its disposal costs from any sales proceeds.”

The B3105 road closure at Staverton had a devastated impact on trade at The Old Bear Inn for 17 weeks from July to November while Wessex Water to replace cast iron decaying pipes. Photo: Trevor Porter 70023-1 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Last July, Wessex Water engineers closed a 500-metre stretch of the B3105 (New Terrace) between the slipway near the Cereal Partners Worldwide factory complex, and the Staverton railway bridge.

Access was maintained for residents and business owners, but diversions were put in place for local commuter and through traffic with drivers facing long delays.

The works began on July 26 and were scheduled to last 21 weeks until they were completed in mid-December. Wessex Water said they will provide a more reliable and improved water source for the local area for many years to come.

In the event, Wessex Water completed the works four weeks ahead of schedule but although some local businesses received compensation for the disruption to their trade, The Old Bear Inn failed to reopen.

Trade plummeted at The Old Bear Inn at Staverton as customers were unable to drive to the pub. Photo: Trevor Porter 70008-9 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Further disruption is expected this spring when Wiltshire Council contractors begin work on resurfacing the B3105 in Staverton following the completion of Wessex Water's extensive works in the area.

Cllr Richard Clewer, leader of Wiltshire Council, said: “We're planning resurface the road in spring 2024.

“The main reason for this is that following large-scale utilities works such as these, there can be a need for the utilities company to re-dig parts of the site to fix an issue - and the last thing we want is to resurface the road, only for it to be dug up again soon afterwards.

“Another reason that we're delaying the resurfacing a little is that the winter weather, particularly rain and sub-zero temperatures, can delay and prevent resurfacing works, and so we'd rather wait until the spring, and hopefully more favourable weather.

“When we do start the works, we'll do our best to minimise disruption. However, we don't yet know the length and timing of any road closure, as this will depend on what our engineers discover about the road surface when they examine Wessex Water's excavations. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause people.”