STAWLEY Parish Council has vowed to continue the fight to force repairs at The Globe Inn in Appley, a 17th Century listed building, after Taunton Deane planning officers recommended that no further action be taken to require repairs to be undertaken.

A petition calling for urgent repairs to be made to The Globe signed by 212 parishioners in Stawley and surrounding communities was debated by Taunton Deane Borough Council (TDBC) at its meeting on April 12 and referred to the planning committee for further consideration.

The petition pointed out that part of The Globe has been derelict for more than three years after the wall of a barn attached to the pub collapsed into the road.

The parish council and the present landlady of the pub have been asking for repairs to be undertaken by the freehold owner but work has still not been completed.

The council believes the derelict building is an eyesore which threatens the structural integrity of the pub and is affecting its long-term commercial viability as some potential customers are put off by its external and untidy appearance.

Parish council chairman Charles St George, commenting on the officer’s report to TDBC’s planning committee meeting tonight (Wednesday), said: “We are disgusted by the officer’s recommendation that no further action be taken – it is a slap in the face for the local community that has been fighting to save this historic pub which, since last year, has been listed on Taunton Deane’s own Register of Community Assets.

“Officers have totally ignored our petition which pointed out the damage both to the structure and business of the pub, while their claims that the present state of the building is secure and doesn’t harm the visual amenity of the area are self-evidently ridiculous.

“When Taunton Deane’s full council debated our petition last month there was apparently strong support for preserving the pub from a number of councillors, including the Leader of the Council.

“Yet it now appears that they have once again decided to kick the issue into the long grass and ignore local opinion.”

Parish council representatives are planning to put their case directly to Taunton Deane’s planning committee tonight.