Wetherspoons considers new pub location

A former Post Office could be converted into a pub my major chain Wetherspoons, it has been revealed.

JD Wetherspoon is currently making preparations to invest more than £1 million into the location in Abingdon town centre and has already filed a planning application to make the conversion, the Oxford Mail reported.

The move is likely to shake up the pub scene in the town, with local landlady Hilary Collis noting that the purchase is good for the town but potentially “disastrous” for local pubs. In fact, it could force some landlords to sell their pubs if they are unable to adapt and redevelop their business models. Ms Collis added: “We have enough pubs closing and we don’t need more. It’s definitely going to close off some pubs.”

A local nightclub also closed down earlier this year, as businesses struggle to compete against each other when consumer spending is at a low.

Paul Vanstone, landlord of the Midget and chairman of Abingdon Pub Watch, however, told the paper that he agreed the Wetherspoon's investment could been a good thing for the area: “I think town centre pubs will be against it, as Wetherspoon sells cheap beer.

“But with the nightclub closing, the town has died. It might bring a bit of life back into the town centre. I think it’s probably a good thing, but whether they get it is another matter. But it’s been a derelict building for quite some time. It can only do the town good and stop people leaving.”