Aylesbury pub 'extremely concerned' with new 46-home town centre development

Owners of Aylesbury’s Craftyard pub in Walton Street have criticised the ongoing development just metres away.

Staff at the bar have organised a protest to raise awareness around the County Apartments project also on Walton Street.

Oakford Homes is transforming a sparsely used building, which was previously used by Bucks Council, into a 46-home apartment complex.

Bucks Council has championed the scheme as one of the projects it authorised as part of a “broader vision to revitalise Aylesbury town centre”.

When the project was announced it was mentioned alongside the controversial demolition of Aylesbury’s former Gala Bingo building as one of the ways the council was repurposing disused properties to increase the appeal of the town centre.

However, the owners of the Craftyard told The Bucks Herald that since work began on the apartments, which officially opened in June, “we have had to endure substantial amounts of dust, dirt and building debris”.

The pub says this has impacted its ability to have customers eating and drinking in its outside courtyard. Owners say the issue was raised with Bucks Council and Oakford Homes but the issues “were not addressed”.

A spokesperson for Oakford Homes said that it asked the pub to send more evidence so it could investigate what was causing the issue. The developer said it did not receive further evidence from Craftyard.

A spokesperson for the developer said: “Throughout the construction, Oakford Homes has taken preventative steps to mitigate the impact of dust and debris arising from our works. Whilst dust is an unavoidable element of construction activity, Oakford Homes have consistently sought to ensure this is kept to a minimum.”

Bucks Council acknowledged that a complaint was lodged. A spokesperson for the council said: “As you'd expect with a construction site, some level of dust, noise and disruption is inevitable. However, our officers will be making enquiries to ensure appropriate measures are in place to keep any impact on neighbouring businesses and the local community to a minimum.”

Craftyard has also raised concerns around the marketing of the new homes and the decision to approve a housing project so close to a pub known for hosting live music and DJ sets on weekends.

"We simply want potential buyers to know exactly what they are moving next to before they buy,” the pub said on Facebook.

"We are busy, we have music, events, customers enjoying themselves and all of the normal activity associated with a successful town-centre hospitality venue. We make absolutely no apology for that, because that is what was already here,” the owners told The Bucks Herald.

“Our concern is what happens when people buy these new properties, move in next to us and then complain about the noise and activity of a business which has been operating in exactly the same location for nine years.

"We are not trying to stop people buying the apartments and we have nothing against the future residents. In fact, we welcome more people living in Aylesbury town centre. What we are saying is: please make an informed decision before you buy.”

A spokesperson for Oakford Homes said: “Prospective purchasers are made aware of the presence of the Craftyard, along with its licensed operations to enable our buyers to make a fully informed decision prior to proceeding with a purchase.

They added that legal documentation provided to buyer’s “specifically refers to Craftyard Aylesbury”.

Bucks Council did not respond to the concerns raised when approached by this newspaper.

Oakford Homes describes the properties as “design-forward apartments” that “sit comfortably behind the former Buckinghamshire County Council’s office façade – classically neo Georgian in style and integral to Aylesbury’s character mix”.

One-bed apartments are on sale at a starting price of £169,950, two-bed flats are available from £229,950.

Craftyard has also raised concerns over the loss of its rear gate, which, according to the pub, is regularly used by customers with mobility issues, including wheelchair users.

It claims that despite previous discussions outlining the gate’s importance to Craftyard, Oakford Homes is seeking to “stop” the pub from using the gate.

"This is not just an argument about a gate or a boundary, it directly affects whether some members of our community can continue to access a local business they have been visiting for years,” the pub’s owners said.

Oakford Homes says the blockage is only a temporary measure taken for safety purposes. The company acknowledges that neither party has legal right of way to the area. “We understand that this exit was only formed during the pandemic as a means of social distancing and prior to that, Craftyard had been able to accommodate wheelchair users via an alternative access,” Oakford Homes claims. "The same goes for a fire escape.”

The pub is hosting what it describes as a ‘peaceful demonstration’ at its premises at 2pm on Saturday. A DJ will also be performing at the event where for a brief period complimentary drinks will also be available at the pub.

Editor’s note: This article was updated to include a response from Oakford Homes.