One local said the plans ‘don’t make sense’

Locals fear a 200-year-old pub could be turned into a school common room – with some saying the plans “don’t make sense”. The Fountain Pub has stood along Silver Street in Ely for two centuries.

Over the years, locals have enjoyed coming together in the pub for drinks and food with friends and family. However, the building’s future as a pub is in doubt, with plans submitted by King’s Ely to turn it into a teachers common room and community space.

In the planning documents, it said the pub has “suffered from a significantly reduced footfall for a number of years and is no longer viable in its current form”. The applicant said the landlord has confirmed their intention to sell the pub and “pursue the sale of the premises” to the school, as stated in the plans.

This has left many locals unhappy. Campaigner Joe Moor finds the plans “ludicrous”.

He said: “The pub is in one of the most lovely areas. It has a lovely old feel to it and it’s in a beautiful location with charming views. We need to make sure a building aged 200-years-old can continue into the future. Having a staff room in a pub won’t work.”

Joe has launched the ‘Save The Fountain Pub, Ely’ Facebook group, which has “taken on a life of its own”. Joe added: “I wanted to raise awareness of it and people have been very supportive.”

Another man, who wished to remain anonymous, has been going to the Fountain since his early 20s, having grown up in Ely during the 1970s. He said he has known the pub for a “long time” and it has “always been a good meeting point for friends and family”.

“It’s been a long standing fixture in Ely for a long time,” added the man. He believes the school’s plans “don’t make sense”. He added: “The school has seen an opportunity to buy a property that could suit them, rather than the community. I think if it was turned into something for the community, it would provide a lot of interest for people.”

So far, the plans have received 68 public comments, including 67 objections and one supporting comment. A resident in Juniper Drive described the pub as a “sensitive and historic part of Ely”, and if it was to close, it would mean the “permanent removal of a valued community facility”.

They added: “Before any change of use is allowed, there should be clear and robust evidence that the pub has been properly and genuinely tested on the open market as a going concern, at a realistic price, and with genuine efforts made to secure continued pub or hospitality use. Without that, this application is premature and unjustified.”

Another person said the plans would result in an “unjustified loss of a valued community facility”, while another said The Fountain “deserves the chance to remain a pub”.

The school’s current staff room is located away from the main teaching block and is “underutilised” as staff don’t have the time to walk there. The applicants said that the pub building is ideally located near to a number of school buildings, including the senior school reception and surrounding classrooms.

If approved, the new common room would allow “staff to come together as a team more often, utilise breaks between lessons more effectively and benefit from welfare facilities”. The school also acknowledges the historical role the pub has played within the community. Therefore, it proposes that the premises will be made available outside of school hours for community-focused activities.

Suggestions of community activities include: small scale meetings, local group gatherings, charity events and social and civic events. If approved, the community will be able to use it during evening periods on Wednesdays during the school term between 7pm and 9.30pm.

King’s Ely and owners of The Fountain Pub have been approached for comment.