No last orders as popular Peterborough pub secures its future

Andy Simmonds, who runs the Ploughman in the Werrington Centre, revealed he had signed a long term lease on the bar this week, after a decade spent trying to save the pub.

It had been under threat following Tesco’s plans to redevelop the centre.

He is now planning on buying the pub - but not before celebrating his success.

He said; “I have signed the lease with John Livock (the owner) for the next 15 years.

“We are all over the moon. There were times I never thought we would be here, but we were determined to save it. This is a huge victory against a major supermarket.

The pub is a real asset of community value.

“We haven’t had chance to celebrate yet, but we will crack open the champagne with the regulars on Saturday. We have had a lot of help to get here.

“Soon we will be donating more than £3,100 we raised at our Beer Festival to Heltwate School, and we are planning our next fundraising scheme as well.

“We will now look at doing the pub up again - it has been let go a bit, but now we have secured its future, we can start work.

“I have the right to purchase it now, which is something I will be looking at doing.”

The pub had been under threat since Tesco bought the Werrington Centre in 2009.

It had planned to demolish much of the centre - including the Ploughman - to make way for a bigger store.

However, the plans were shelved in 2013.

However, developer John Livock, who has purchased part of the centre, is now planning on creating 104 flats in the centre.

Andy said: “The centre is not a suitable place for 104 social homes. We don’t want them here.

“The whole idea of Werrington Centre was for it to be open plan. We have enough problems with anti social behaviour already - although the community is pulling together to tackle it.

“We will fight to stop the flats.”