Hundreds give backing to new city centre pub (From Daily Echo)
When news happens, text SDE and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
The Rockstone pub in Southampton gets backing of 600 people
8:30am Tuesday 29th November 2011 in News
Max Greenwood wants to reopen The Rockstone public house in Bevois Valley
MORE than 600 people are backing a bid to reopen a city pub.
Max Greenwood wants a licence for The Rockstone in Bevois Valley and faces a council panel on Thursday after objections to his plans to open beyond 11pm.
He has spent more than £600,000 buying and renovating the former Bevois Castle in Onslow Road, which has stood empty for 18 months.
The trained chef said he wants to create a “country pub in the city” aimed at non-students.
Nightlife
The Daily Echo has an extensive archive of reviews of local establishments.
Why not check out our pub reviews or take a look at the restaurant reviews if you fancy something to eat?
But police and environmental health officers have raised concerns also put forward by some residents that allowing a late licence will see more crime and antisocial behaviour.
Max has since dropped his application to open until 2am at weekends, but argues he should be able to serve until midnight.
He said he had spent several months discussing concerns with residents and has adapted his plans to reduce noise and cut the risk of problems, as well as installing CCTV cameras, which he believes will improve safety in neighbouring streets.
Max, who previously ran the St James Tavern in Winchester, said: “There are only two other pubs that I know of in the town centre that have 11pm licences. I want to be somewhere for people to go who don’t want to hang around with students.
“I’m not selling cans or bottles, I’ll have no pool table, no jukebox and no TVs.”
Max has got support from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). Southern Hampshire chairman Andrew Dyer said: “In a time when so many pubs are closing and businesses are generally struggling a new enterprise that will add to the local community and economy should be actively encouraged.”
Southampton City Council has received 27 letters of objection to the application.
Hampshire police said there were concerns about the “cumulative impact” of bars in Bevois Valley, saying in its response to the council: “The area is saturated with licensed premises and is stressed due to the amount of premises and incidents that occur there.”
Within 48 hours of launching a petition to support his bid, although he admits it is now outside of the official consultation, Max gathered more than 600 signatures.
He said: “After seeing the level of support I am really looking forward to opening and getting on with serving my community. Hopefully the board will see that I am not going to cause trouble and that this is something that Southampton really wants.”
Comments(43)
notaposht*at
says...
9:05am Tue 29 Nov 11
will be nice to go somewhwere that lets you in if your not a student, should be welcomed even though i do understand local residents concerns lets not assume everyone who wants a pint is going to act like a yob, sort the real issues out with late night noise and behaviour in the disgusting premises in bevous valley that does only let students in and sell cheap drink, but lets not assume the worst for this guy, hes spent £600,000 to help the local community and earn a living he should be welcomed and encouraged
Stillness
says...
9:08am Tue 29 Nov 11
Totton Ric
says...
9:12am Tue 29 Nov 11
notaposht*at
says...
9:19am Tue 29 Nov 11
Solomon's Boot
says...
9:22am Tue 29 Nov 11
Actually, what this country needs is more pubs to create a bit of competition and bring down their extortionate prices!
From the Edge
says...
9:24am Tue 29 Nov 11
TBH how can local residents complain, they need to take look around, far worse places locally.
27 against, 600 in favour, we live in a democracy, however the decision will probably depend on depending on who's up for election in May and how much they promise.
Good luck
Bevois Valley Resident
says...
9:25am Tue 29 Nov 11
Max has clearly invested a huge amount of money in the pub and it is going to be a real asset to the area. We have already had a residents' meeting in the pub and I have got to know neighbours I simply wouldn't have met before.
Hopefully this will be the start of an upturn for Bevois Valley.
From the Edge
says...
9:28am Tue 29 Nov 11
This should be a no brainer for SCC, the Tories are allegedly all for small business's, but as it's not for students it will not get permission.
TBH how can local residents complain, they need to take look around,there are far worse places locally.
27 against, 600 in favour, we live in a democracy, however the decision will probably depend on who's up for election in May and how much they promise.
Good luck
CyberWarrior
says...
9:30am Tue 29 Nov 11
AndyAndrews
says...
9:34am Tue 29 Nov 11
Little hands
says...
9:47am Tue 29 Nov 11
AndyAndrews wrote:What, so just because I'm not a student, I'm home and tucked up in bed by 11.30?!
If the owner is a trained chef who wants a country-style pub without students, there is no need for late opening.
tsfrsl13
says...
9:52am Tue 29 Nov 11
I completely agree with the idea of cleaning up the licences in the grotty valley pubs and giving max and the Rockstone a chance!
And as for is there a need for a late opening? 12 is hardly late and why must it be only students that can stay out til 2am if they want to, I don't know about everyone else but I hardly turn in at 9pm with a hot cocoa!
Stillness
says...
10:10am Tue 29 Nov 11
notaposht*at wrote:I also "assume" that you don't have a sense of humor. In addition I had not even seen your post. I was typing mine as you were typing yours, it's just that you hit submit before i did. In future you should assume that you could be assuming wrongly.
stillness you asume too much ,i didn't say in my previous post that i also am a student in my fortys, but do not frequent the student bars simply because i dont go out to get wrecked. i have seen older people behave just like younger people. The problem is it is socially acceptable to get absolutley pi**ed and act like a idiot. so age does not discriminate when it comes to drinking or drugs its the persons attitude to it.
Flyboyuk
says...
10:15am Tue 29 Nov 11
MaxGreenwood
says...
10:25am Tue 29 Nov 11
http://www.thepetiti
onsite.com/1/save-th
e-rockstone/
If you could sign it and pass it on to anyone you feel would support this, that would be amazing.
The official court hearing in front on the Licensing Authority is at 0930 1st December 2011 in The Civic Centre Southampton.
If you wish to attend, or make a point known, whether FOR or AGAINST, it is an open forum, but if you wish to make representation, you will require the court's permission. If you have any questions they can be contacted on Licensing@southampto
n.gov.uk
Quoting: ALW/LVP/GRE201/2
The Rockstone
63 Onslow Road
Southampton
SO14 0JL
Thank you very much, for your support.
The cost in legal fees so far has been £6,700!
I suppose I ought to let you know my plans for the Bevois Castle/Rockstone.
I want to aim for 26-60+ ale drinkers who like good food, I want a REAL pub in Southampton focused mainly on food.
Serving a selection of fine wines, ciders and ales. I will NOT be stocking Stella Artois, alcopops or “bottles for £1” or anything like that. There will not be special offers aimed at students, or binge drinking.
I want to aim for “a country pub in the centre of town” kind of feel. We hope to get the quiz league, crib league and football teams up and running again. We have a 5-a-side football team at the moment and are starting a softball team in the spring.
I want a friendly, local pub with welcoming attitude and community spirit, we have lots of wood, comfy seating and a beautiful redbrick fireplace, ideal for creating warmth and atmosphere with one stroke.
In the sunshine, with some expert handiwork in the garden from my friends at Hillier's, Kew Gardens and The Urban Gardener, it could someday be the best looking pub in Southampton.
It has a lot of space for an eating area, and two outdoor areas for smoking and eating. Also I've remove the pool table and jukebox to make more space for tables and seating, and less attraction for trouble makers...If we do do live music in the main bar it will be unplugged folk or acoustic or blues, nothing LOUD.
The forecourt will no longer be a car park, and will instead be a simple, yet attractive front garden. with flower boxes and planters down each side of the triangle it will really be a good venue to look at. All of the flat areas of roofing of the pub will also be planted. We intend to re-instated the 12 hanging baskets, and maybe try for some “best planted pub” awards...
I hope to reduce trouble by removing the pool table, gambling machine and jukebox, not having televisions in the main bar and by never showing football.
There is an comprehensive CCTV network, which I hope to add to with extra cameras in the garden, the front of the pub and both adjoining roads. All linked up to the monitors in the upstairs office it can provide good coverage of the building and surrounding streets for crime prevention purposes.
Diligent use of the log/incident book will be observed as always. I am involved with “Pub Watch,” “Yellow Card” and other local initiatives aimed at reducing noise and trouble.
I have been in the pub trade as a landlord and a chef for 12 years now.
I am a Platinum Member of CAMRA (Campaign For Real Ales) I am also member of The British Institute of Innkeepers and take my responsibilities seriously.
I am the chairman of the Rockstone Lane Resident's Association, and we were instrumental in reforming the local Neighbourhood watch as well.
I currently hold the following qualifications, as do my two managers Chris Stokes and Stephanie Baker:
BIIAB Personal License
SIA Door Supervisor
BIIAB Cellar Management
WSET Wines and Spirits Certificate
The last pub I ran was an the award winning St. James Tavern in Winchester, and we won “Hampshire Pub Of The Month,” “Daily Echo Pub Of The Week” and had many favourable food reviews in “On The Menu” magazine and “The Hampshire Times Food Supplement.”
Please look for us on Facebook, Twitter, ReverbNation and “http://therocksto
ne.co.uk/”
Any questions please feel free to pop in and have a chat, or leave a message, email me at “Info@Therockstone
.co.uk” or call me on 07818 426 285.
Looking forward to meeting you.
Regards,
Max Greewood.
dolomiteman
says...
10:53am Tue 29 Nov 11
Good luck.
Dasal
says...
11:47am Tue 29 Nov 11
MaxGreenwood wrote:Max, good luck mate................
There is an online petition that we are trying to get signatures for at the link below: http://www.thepetiti onsite.com/1/save-th e-rockstone/ If you could sign it and pass it on to anyone you feel would support this, that would be amazing. The official court hearing in front on the Licensing Authority is at 0930 1st December 2011 in The Civic Centre Southampton. If you wish to attend, or make a point known, whether FOR or AGAINST, it is an open forum, but if you wish to make representation, you will require the court's permission. If you have any questions they can be contacted on Licensing@southampto n.gov.uk Quoting: ALW/LVP/GRE201/2 The Rockstone 63 Onslow Road Southampton SO14 0JL Thank you very much, for your support. The cost in legal fees so far has been £6,700! I suppose I ought to let you know my plans for the Bevois Castle/Rockstone. I want to aim for 26-60+ ale drinkers who like good food, I want a REAL pub in Southampton focused mainly on food. Serving a selection of fine wines, ciders and ales. I will NOT be stocking Stella Artois, alcopops or “bottles for £1” or anything like that. There will not be special offers aimed at students, or binge drinking. I want to aim for “a country pub in the centre of town” kind of feel. We hope to get the quiz league, crib league and football teams up and running again. We have a 5-a-side football team at the moment and are starting a softball team in the spring. I want a friendly, local pub with welcoming attitude and community spirit, we have lots of wood, comfy seating and a beautiful redbrick fireplace, ideal for creating warmth and atmosphere with one stroke. In the sunshine, with some expert handiwork in the garden from my friends at Hillier's, Kew Gardens and The Urban Gardener, it could someday be the best looking pub in Southampton. It has a lot of space for an eating area, and two outdoor areas for smoking and eating. Also I've remove the pool table and jukebox to make more space for tables and seating, and less attraction for trouble makers...If we do do live music in the main bar it will be unplugged folk or acoustic or blues, nothing LOUD. The forecourt will no longer be a car park, and will instead be a simple, yet attractive front garden. with flower boxes and planters down each side of the triangle it will really be a good venue to look at. All of the flat areas of roofing of the pub will also be planted. We intend to re-instated the 12 hanging baskets, and maybe try for some “best planted pub” awards... I hope to reduce trouble by removing the pool table, gambling machine and jukebox, not having televisions in the main bar and by never showing football. There is an comprehensive CCTV network, which I hope to add to with extra cameras in the garden, the front of the pub and both adjoining roads. All linked up to the monitors in the upstairs office it can provide good coverage of the building and surrounding streets for crime prevention purposes. Diligent use of the log/incident book will be observed as always. I am involved with “Pub Watch,” “Yellow Card” and other local initiatives aimed at reducing noise and trouble. I have been in the pub trade as a landlord and a chef for 12 years now. I am a Platinum Member of CAMRA (Campaign For Real Ales) I am also member of The British Institute of Innkeepers and take my responsibilities seriously. I am the chairman of the Rockstone Lane Resident's Association, and we were instrumental in reforming the local Neighbourhood watch as well. I currently hold the following qualifications, as do my two managers Chris Stokes and Stephanie Baker: BIIAB Personal License SIA Door Supervisor BIIAB Cellar Management WSET Wines and Spirits Certificate The last pub I ran was an the award winning St. James Tavern in Winchester, and we won “Hampshire Pub Of The Month,” “Daily Echo Pub Of The Week” and had many favourable food reviews in “On The Menu” magazine and “The Hampshire Times Food Supplement.” Please look for us on Facebook, Twitter, ReverbNation and “http://therocksto ne.co.uk/” Any questions please feel free to pop in and have a chat, or leave a message, email me at “Info@Therockstone .co.uk” or call me on 07818 426 285. Looking forward to meeting you. Regards, Max Greewood.
looking forward to my first visit already.
bigfella777
says...
11:51am Tue 29 Nov 11
MaxGreenwood
says...
11:59am Tue 29 Nov 11
Stu J
says...
12:07pm Tue 29 Nov 11
Yet again I see Southampton people coming second to student imports, not to mention the obvious age difference that would imply less late night noise. Knock back someone else's license instead.
wr0ng1
says...
12:37pm Tue 29 Nov 11
I'm disappointed, but not surprised that someone has used this as an excuse to have a pop at people of other cultures - not clever.
But yeah - best of luck Max and I am very much looking forward to spending a lot of time there.
rockstone-resident
says...
12:56pm Tue 29 Nov 11
townieboy
says...
12:56pm Tue 29 Nov 11
wilsoncastaway
says...
12:59pm Tue 29 Nov 11
Stillness
says...
1:06pm Tue 29 Nov 11
Old-Dog
says...
1:37pm Tue 29 Nov 11
andysaints007
says...
1:55pm Tue 29 Nov 11
ShakeyWiffles
says...
3:27pm Tue 29 Nov 11
Fearnly
says...
4:31pm Tue 29 Nov 11
dane323 wrote:From reading the new Landlords post, I wish The Rockstone all the best.
Good luck Max!
From what I see walking past the pub every day, a lot of man hours, time and money has been spent on restoring what was Bevois Castle, into The Rockstone. Surely the council should be embracing the fact that someone is taking the time to create a "country style pub in the city", that is going out of it's way to NOT to show sports, not sell Alco-pops or serve cheesy chips into the early hours and instead is making a point of creating an environment to enjoy good quality food, a range of ales and wines and all in welcoming surroundings inside and out.
Personally, I am looking forward to spending time in a pub that DOESN'T have sticky floors, graffiti on the toilet walls, loud scary music or screaming groups of teenagers drinking more than they can handle.
I really hope that the council comes to it's senses, come on, what is there to protest about really?.
Good Luck Rockstone.
Fearnly
says...
4:31pm Tue 29 Nov 11
From what I see walking past the pub every day, a lot of man hours, time and money has been spent on restoring what was Bevois Castle, into The Rockstone. Surely the council should be embracing the fact that someone is taking the time to create a "country style pub in the city", that is going out of it's way to NOT to show sports, not sell Alco-pops or serve cheesy chips into the early hours and instead is making a point of creating an environment to enjoy good quality food, a range of ales and wines and all in welcoming surroundings inside and out.
Personally, I am looking forward to spending time in a pub that DOESN'T have sticky floors, graffiti on the toilet walls, loud scary music or screaming groups of teenagers drinking more than they can handle.
I really hope that the council comes to it's senses, come on, what is there to protest about really?.
Good Luck Rockstone.
MaxGreenwood
says...
4:46pm Tue 29 Nov 11
onsite.com/1/save-th
e-rockstone/
Here is said online Petition....
Stillness
says...
5:16pm Tue 29 Nov 11
rightway
says...
5:30pm Tue 29 Nov 11
Whatever next.
Good luck Max
dolomiteman
says...
8:34pm Tue 29 Nov 11
bigfella777 wrote:Typical racist remark from someone hiding behind a forum user-name and you make comments without foundation of fact, thank god (any of your choosing) that you dont have a job where people rely on you having to make important decisions.
There's bound to be objections because its in an area where people worship religions which don't allow alcohol consumption.We cant object to mosques or temples but they can object to pubs, ridiculous.
peter c masters
says...
10:57pm Tue 29 Nov 11
Good Luck!
Huffter
says...
9:09am Wed 30 Nov 11
wr0ng1
says...
10:02am Wed 30 Nov 11
MaxGreenwood
says...
7:30am Thu 1 Dec 11
Hudo1968
says...
11:48am Thu 1 Dec 11
Lucius Curtis
says...
4:26pm Thu 1 Dec 11
I haven't been to Bevois Valley for ages, so I apologise for asking an unsavoury question, but is there still a problem with prostitution down there?
If so, it's not the best location for a country pub feel
septuagenarian
says...
8:24pm Thu 1 Dec 11
Baybrit
says...
12:28am Fri 2 Dec 11
dane323 says...
8:59am Tue 29 Nov 11