CAMRA hits out at brewery plans for cult Finnieston pub

CAMRA opposes threatened interior refurbishment of historic Glasgow pub

The Glasgow and West of Scotland Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has lodged a formal objection against the proposed "gentrification" of a classic pub close to trendy Finnieston. The Grove bar in Kelvingrove Street (s technically in Kelvingrove, not Finnieston proper), is one of the last surviving old-school pubs in an area which in recent years has seen a mushrooming of upmarket bars and restaurants and is now considered one of the most fashionable areas of Glasgow. Planning applications submitted by the pub's owners, Bury St Edmunds-based brewery and pub company Greene King (who own Belhaven brewery and its pubs) propose to paint the brick frontage of the pub dark green, replace the period signage and install a new pub sign. Planning permission is needed for these alterations because the pub is in a listed building in a conservation area. CAMRA has slammed Greene King's plans and said the proposed new signage is "garish, inappropriate and out of character for the conservation area." Few pubs of the post-war period survive in Glasgow and CAMRA believes these are as important in their own way as older inns and taverns. The exterior of the Grove, dating from 1957, should be preserved as part of the conservation area's history, says the branch. "What makes Kelvingrove attractive is precisely the fact that old-school businesses such as the Grove Bar and Majestic Laundrette survive alongside wonderful new places like the Gannet and Kelvingrove Cafe," said Glasgow CAMRA's publicity officer Robbie Pickering. "People don't want a street of bars that all look the same. If you want a trendier bar to drink in, there is hardly a shortage of those in the area." CAMRA says the Grove Bar is an important community hub for its patrons, who like the pub as it is and some of whom may feel less comfortable in other bars nearby.

13/06/2019