Peeblesshire News | News | Hope for Crook campaigners

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Friday, 18th January, 2008 10:40

Hope for Crook campaigners

By David Knox

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The historic Crook Inn which was advertised for sale at £450,000 - without some of its land

CAMPAIGNERS hoping to take over the threatened Crook Inn could be thrown a lifeline by a confidential report.

The Peeblesshire News understands that the findings of the District Valuer have reiterated claims by a community buy-out group that it has been marketed at too high a price.

The Crook Inn in Tweedsmuir is one of Scotland’s oldest licensed inns with claims of Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and John Buchan amongst its regulars over the centuries.

But its 400-years of service to remote Tweedddale was brought to an end in June 2006 when new owner James Doonan called time.

And five months later a planning application was submitted to turn the hotel into flats.

A vigorous campaign was launched by regulars of the pub to prevent the application going through.

And planners deferred a decision for the owner to prove the Crook was no longer a viable business.

Mr Doonan’s agents, R&W Hall, advertised the inn for £450,000 in trade magazines – without some of the original land.

The campaigners formed the Tweedsmuir Community Company and lodged an interest with the Scottish Government to take advantage of the right-to-buy scheme.

The original planning application returned to the table at last month’s Tweeddale Area Committee, where planners, who were initially recommending approval, deferred a decision until an independent price could be put on the business by the District Valuer.

That value has now been confidentially submitted and the Peeblesshire News understands it is significantly below the advertised asking price.

Duncan Davidson, chairman of the Tweedsmuir Community Company, told us: “The Planning Department asked Mr Doonan to prove that the Crook Inn had reached the end of its economic life and to put it on the market.

He responded by offering the inn for a staggering £450,000 – which is £100,000 more than he paid for it – and he had removed the land running down to the River Tweed from the sale.

“Not long ago the Crook Inn employed four chefs a wide range of full and part time staff.”

The planning application will come before Tweeddale Area Committee again on January 28.

Tweeddale MP David Mundell, who has backed the Crook campaign, believes the council is already taking legal advice over the situation.

He said: “I welcome the fact that the council is legally reviewing the situation.

“It is quite clear what is the right thing to do.”

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