Petition started against plans for new Wetherspoon pub in Ormskirk town centre

Dec 13 2012 by Rob Pattinson, Skelmersdale Advertiser

A PETITION has been started against plans for a town centre Wetherspoons.

The pub chain wants to move into the two-storey Best DIY unit on Wheatsheaf Walk, behind Burscough Street.

It has submitted plans to West Lancs council, and if permission is granted it is understood the £1m scheme would create around 40 jobs.

But staff at Best DIY have now started a petition, which has so far reached around 100 signatures, against the proposals.

Staff at the store said customers were upset at the prospect of the store closing and many didn’t think the town needed another pub.

One customer told the Advertiser: “There’s nothing else like this around.

“We don’t want to lose another high street store to make way for a pub. There’s too many around here and it will just attract people in to drink all day.

We want as many people to sign this petition as possible to show the council the level of objection to this from people who live in Ormskirk.”

The petition will be submitted to West Lancashire council as a representation against the proposals.

A spokesman for the pub chain told the Advertiser earlier this month: “Wetherspoon has been keen to open a pub in the town for a while.The fact we have put in for planning permission shows we are committed to opening a pub in Ormskirk.

‘‘At this stage it is still early days and it’s up to the local authority to decide on that.”