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| Andrew Pope Outside The Derelict Bridge Tavern Pub on Coxford Road |
Shirley ward campaigner Andrew Pope has had confirmation from the Agent of the site developer that the development of the former Bridge Tavern is proceeding. Andrew says:
"I've had a response from the Agent today. I've told him of my disappointment that their proposal was approved by the big party councillors on the Council planning committee, but I have thanked him for his quick response to my questions.
There will be a delay but it may be "May" at the earliest before the pub is demolished. The Council and developer are having trouble agreeing the commitments that the developer must follow. And bats and other wildlife are inside the derelict pub.
I remain concerned on behalf of residents (and local bats, birds and other wildlife) of the impact of the development. I will keep a watching brief.
It's sad to see a pub be demolished but there was no way that I could save this pub.
I have saved others in the New Forest, including the Anchor Inn at Eling and the Fleur de Lys at Pilley. I was standing for Parliament in New Forest East. Around that time, I also joined with campaigners to protect The Bittern pub at Bitterne from becoming a McDonald's.
Not all pubs can be saved though and not all pubs are wanted to be saved by local residents. The Bridge Tavern is obviously another that could not survive. I've met people who did enjoy the pub many years ago, including on Sunday when I was canvassing nearby, so the pub served its purpose and local residents for a long time.
The Bush Inn on Maybush Road could not be saved, when I was councillor for Redbridge ward nearby. I asked local residents and they did not want the Bush Inn to be saved.
At the time I was reported in the Echo saying that I was disappointed to lose another pub, but being an elected representative is not about what I want, it's about what local residents want. I listen to them and act on their views."
Since 2024, co-founder of Southampton Independents Andrew Pope has listened to and stood up with residents of the Coxford / Maybush area (it depends on who you ask :) ) who live near to the derelict pub on Coxford Road.
The derelict pub is close to the Southampton General Hospital and is affected by hospital staff parking there, as is a very wide area going all the way from Romsey Road to Hill Lane, north and south of Winchester Road and in Shirley Warren. Andrew has confirmed this from listening to many residents of this area.
The latest proposal for the derelict pub was to develop the site, but the proposals were deeply flawed, residents told him. They did not understand why the Council had not rejected the planning application, because it did not improve on previous applications that had been refused.
Andrew added his voice to the objections to the planning application. He organised and ran a petition that local residents signed, and submitted this to the Council.
Andrew spoke up for residents at the July 2025 Planning meeting. What is not mentioned in the Echo report is that incredibly, Andrew observed the now ex-councillor Liberal Democrat George Percival, actually support the application, and shake the hands of the developer's representative at the Planning meeting. It turns out that Percival was committing a flagrant conflict of interest by mixing his occupation with his role as a councillor.
Andrew had previously asked the planning officer that the decision was made in public, so that planning officers could not make the decision bureaucratically and without public scrutiny. He also objected to the application and asked councillors to refuse it.
The councillors were all from the big political parties: Labour, Tories, Liberal Democrats.
They approved the application despite the huge local objections that it should be refused and residents' views listened to. Southampton resident and supporter of Southampton Independents Felix, who attended the meeting with Andrew, said:
"This was the first planning meeting that I had ever been to. It seemed like the big party's councillors did not listen to Andrew or the residents who spoke at the meeting. They seemed to have made up their mind before the meeting.
But they did listen when Andrew demanded that the Park and Ride now be delivered, and not just be in strategy documents for even longer than the 12 years that Andrew has fought for it."
Months passed. Nothing seemed to be happening, so Andrew wrote to the Agent of the developer for an update, who has confirmed today that the site will be developed from May at the earliest, due to delays in the legal agreements with the Council's planning officers, and further bat surveys.
Bats are protected by law and are probably roosting in the derelict pub until May at the latest, "when the hibernation period for bats ends.", according to the Agent.
Andrew may not have stopped the proposal, but since 2024 he has worked hard to represent local residents, and he has had a victory on his 12-year Park and Ride campaign which has already reduced hospital parking and traffic. More details on that victory and his continuing campaign to make the Park and Ride be better, and hold the bus company, hospital and Labour-run Council to account, are on this website:
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