Pub supermarket plans are shelved

A disused Warwickshire pub will not be turned into a Tesco store after 2,000 residents protested against the plans.

Punch Taverns, which owns the Sarah Siddons pub on the Westloe estate in Warwick, was in talks with Tesco about turning the pub into a supermarket.

Residents signed a petition against the plans and Punch Taverns has said it would now refurbish the pub.

Warwick and Leamington MP James Plaskitt said the decision was a victory for the residents.

"The victory here belongs to the community first and foremost," he said.

"I think between us we seem to have turned Punch Tavern's attitude around and I'm pleased that this has been the outcome."

Gordon Dando, who lives on the estate, said he believed "people power" had been responsible for the decision.

He added: "We've had such a lot of support, not just from the local community but from the shops, the traders and the local councillors, and also our local MP who's been fantastic."

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