A CALL has gone out for communities to get behind micro pubs.
Praising a garage-based pub in Oxspring, a senior Penistone councillor said: “It’s a wonderful project.”
Coun Paul Hand-Davis was speaking at a meeting of Penistone area council.
After hearing of positive developments in an alehouse project for Penistone itself, he said: “This guy has opened the Smithy Arms in his garage. About 25 people go in there on an evening. It just needs community support.
“There is a call for this sort of thing and we need to get behind such projects as bigger and more traditional pubs continue to close.”
Chairman Coun Robert Barnard agreed. “It is worth encouraging,” he said.
Smithy Arms landlord David Cross has just sorted out a mix-up over opening hours and some complaints to the parish council.
“I have got the opening hours I asked for,” said Mr Cross, whose Bower Hill pub is opposite the village’s Waggon and Horses. “They have not been extended. I had to reapply due to a mix-up at Barnsley Council.”
The parish council received complaints when it was thought Mr Cross wanted to open for longer and the matter was referred to Barnsley. Mr Cross complained at not being consulted first and the council accepted this.
Vice-chairman Ann Walker said: “As far as the parish council is concerned the matter is closed. We had complaints from residents about the Smithy and we had to follow this up.
“The council is very supportive of any little business which starts up. The Smithy is a popular venue and people like to go there.
“We lodged a complaint which was said to be not valid and that was the end of it.
“Mr Cross has gone a long way to address residents’ concerns and everything is now amicable.”
Mr Cross converted his garage into a bar after seeing that a decline in traditional pubs had left a gap in the market for people to brew locally-produced beer and serve these up in micro pubs.
“There is no intention to compete with bigger pubs,” he said.
“This is a little pub serving the community. I put out crisps and nibbles but I don’t sell food. “I do it for the community as much as for myself. I am retired and thought it would be a hobby, not a full-time job.”
Permitted opening times at the Smithy Arms are 11am to 11pm Monday to Thursday; 11am to 11.30pm Friday and Saturday and 11am to 10.30pm Sundays.
The pub is usually closed Mondays and Tuesdays but Mr Cross says he opens up for specific events. “It’s flexible,” he said.
