Residents in Ely, Cambridgeshire, strongly oppose plans to convert a Grade II-listed pub, built in 1830, into a staffroom for a nearby private school charging £32,000 per year.
Historic Pub Faces Closure Threat
The Fountain Pub, one of only two remaining pubs in Ely, stands in a picturesque location on a green with an outdoor license. A local property consultancy has submitted a planning application to East Cambridgeshire District Council on behalf of King’s Ely school, proposing to transform the venue into a teachers’ common room.
The school maintains that the pub operates on a limited basis with reduced hours and employs no staff beyond the landlord, rendering it no longer viable. Extended operations, they argue, would fail to attract sufficient trade.
Community Campaign Gains Momentum
Local campaigner Joe Moor, 41, labels the proposal “nothing short of colonisation” and urges the council to reject it. He insists the pub could thrive with proper management and seeks its designation as an asset of community value to preserve its future.
“We feel the pub could be made viable, while permission for change of use will mean it is permanently lost as a pub,” Moor states. “Someone should be allowed to have a go at making it succeed for the sake of its history and the sake of the community.”
Another resident describes the change as an “act of vandalism,” warning of a significant loss to the town of around 20,000 people. Nineteen objections highlight poor management as the cause of the pub’s struggles, not inherent unviability. Critics note the school’s staffroom would likely see sparse use outside term time.
“A pub being underused or poorly run is not the same thing as a pub being incapable of succeeding,” one objector writes. The pub’s prime setting offers the visibility and historic charm many venues lack.
School’s Justification and Ownership Details
King’s Ely school cites the need for a convenient staffroom, as the current facility requires a three-minute walk from the main teaching block—time teachers lack. Owner John Borland, who acquired the property in 1996, now plans to sell. A prior 2021 bid to convert the downstairs bar into a flat failed due to concerns over losing a community asset.
The application asserts the conversion supports an established community institution without harming local facilities.
Wider Pub Industry Pressures
British pubs continue to close amid soaring food, energy, and labor costs, alongside rising business rates. Recent government measures include a £300 million support package, featuring a 15 percent business rates discount for pubs. However, industry leaders warn of ongoing closures.
Allen Simpson, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, states: “The cost challenges facing hospitality businesses continue to grow and four businesses closing a day in the last quarter of 2025 is the unfortunate reality of a sector shouldering the highest tax burden in the economy.”
