The Kensington Park Hotel, Community Pub And Live Music

EDM number 1233 in 2015-16, proposed by Greg Mulholland on 09/03/2016.
Categorised under the topics of Housing, Leisure, Performing arts, Planning and Service industries.

That this House recognises that the Kensington Park Hotel (KPH) has a long history of providing a community pub and music venue to its local area; celebrates the success of the KPH as a profitable local pub and a popular music venue; criticises the behaviour of Steven Archer, the owner of SWA Developments, since he bought the pub for the overinflated sum of £3.2 million, a clear case of predatory purchasing, with the intent of converting part or all of the building to alternative use; notes the evidence that shows clear intent to do this, including receiving plans to rebuild the interior of the pub as flats, receiving a financial appraisal, planning and heritage support, and identifying Foxton's as a potential occupier of the ground floor; also notes that Steven Archer has undermined the pub through not passing the tax credits the operators were entitled to onto them, refusing to issue rent invoices and reconciliation statements, and abusing the beer tie; notes that the purchase of the KPH was financed by Steven Archer's father, Bill Archer, who was strongly criticised over the sale of Goldstone Ground, the former home of Brighton and Hove Albion, and that Bill Archer retains the land registry charge for the KPH; and supports the current operators of the KPH in continuing to run it as a successful and valuable community pub and music venue, which has strong support of regulars, the local community and local elected represdentatives.

This motion has been signed by a total of 4 MPs.