Battle on for third time; Residents lose their local - but are still fighting.

Byline: Adam Jupp

FAMILIES are gearing up for a fresh fight to stop a care home being built on the site of their former local pub. Regulars of the now-demolished Royal George, in Brunton Park, Gosforth, Newcastle, say they have been robbed of a key community facility.

Hadrian Healthcare Ltd have already had two planning applications for a 46-bed residential care home rejected, with a record number of residents' objections received by Newcastle City Council on each occasion.

Now, the firm has launched a third bid after reportedly addressing concerns raised by the authority's development control committee.

And objectors want to try to block the move again, saying the proposed building would be overbearing, would have a huge impact on traffic passing through the area and would not contribute anything to the community.

The application comes at a time when social services bosses in the city are trying to increase adult care at home and move away from the use of residential facilities.

A residents' campaign group is urging as many people as possible to write letters of objection to the development control committee, ahead of the formal deadline for written protests on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the group said: "After the last application was rejected, people were told it had not been successful and they may not realise a third application has now been made.

"Hundreds of people have written to the council to object on previous occasions and we would urge as many people as possible to make their feelings known now. Even if they miss Wednesday's deadline, we are assured a record will be kept of all letters of complaint." Locals say planners always intended to have a pub on Brunton Park when the estate was first built in 1930s and the Royal George always proved popular with people of all ages.

Around six years ago, the pub was bought from Scottish & Newcastle Breweries by the Royal Bank of Scotland, who kept S & N as managing agents.

But as RBS suffered financial difficulties, the bank decided to sell-on property to re-coup money and, despite offers from people wanting to keep it as a pub being on the table, it ended up in the hands of Hadrian Healthcare.

Locals were given leaflets by the company, informing them they had acquired the property "some 5-6 months after previous owners had closed the public house." But it later emerged on planning papers discussions had been held with Newcastle City Council months before the Royal George shut its doors. An initial planning application was rejected after more than 900 complaints from residents, along with objections from councillors including council leader Coun John Shipley, who wanted to see the Royal George re-opened.

Then, despite appeals from the group to Hadrian to leave the pub standing until agreement was reached, it was flattened and a large fence erected around the site.

A second, modified, application was been lodged for a 46-bed home on the 2,990 sq metre site but that was again rejected. Now, the third bid has gone in and the objectors' group say the proposed building is even wider and taller than in previous applications..Even if they miss Wednesday's deadline, we are assured a record will be kept of all letters of complaint

CAPTION(S):

NOT GIVING UP The Royal George in Brunton Park may have fallen victim to the wrecker's ball, but local residents are determined that what replaces it will not blight their neighbourhood.