Colin James Posted January 24, 2015 Report Posted January 24, 2015 The Booth Hall closed its doors last Sunday. Hereford Times Article ANOTHER Hereford pub has shut its doors for the foreseeable future with the tenant saying it no longer made any money. The Booth Hall in East Street closed its doors last Sunday. Martyn Hathaway, from The Number Works Pub Company, decided to close the pub before his lease finished at the end of February. He partly blamed the closure on the delay in opening the passageway which led to the pub from the High Town. It has been closed since a fire ripped through the former River Island and Card Factory stores in October 2010. Mr Hathaway said: "We were always hoping the alleyway was going to be opened back up. For the last two years all we had were promises it was going to be re-opened." He previously ran the Old Market Inn but had to leave to make way for the Old Market Shopping Centre. Mr Hathaway, who ran The Booth for two years, said: "This side of town has been struggling since the complex. We thought people would go over there, try the new restaurants and filter back to the pubs this side of town. "Unfortunately I don't think it has happened that way." He said he believed empty shops in the High Town did not encourage people across. He runs 13 other pubs, including The Spread Eagle in King Street and The Wye Inn in Holme Lacy Road. Mr Hathaway said The Spread is doing well, but believes this is due to its proximity to The Cathedral. He said he has managed to move most of The Booth staff to his other pubs. Enterprise Inns plc owns The Booth Hall and has been asked for a comment. Spokesman for Herefordshire Council, Richard Gallagher, said: "We are sorry to hear this long established business is due to cease trading. "Booth Hall Passage is an adopted highway for pedestrians. Therefore there is a duty of care on the council to make the area safe for pedestrians walking by. The passage has been closed due to the catastrophic damage to the buildings through which it passes. The owner of those buildings has completed some stabilisation works. "The Section 215 Notice pertaining to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 was formally served on the owner of the fire damaged buildings on Friday 24 October. The owner has 80 days to comply with the notice after it took effect on Tuesday, December 2. "Until the fire damaged buildings are made safe it is not possible to reopen the passageway."
Glenda Powell Posted January 24, 2015 Report Posted January 24, 2015 This unfortunately this happening doesn't surprise me, with all the hoarding up and the passageway not visible no one knows the Booth Hall is there unless you are a regular patron. I remember going to the Booth Hall when I was younger it was always full, and a nice place to have a meal before going to a nightclub making a good night out, ah those were the days!
Cambo Posted January 25, 2015 Report Posted January 25, 2015 Another one bits the dust! How many more will follow this trend? Maybe mr Hathaway & other businesses who have been badly affected by this shambolic affair should look into taking legal action? against the council & the owners of the burnt out properties, to force them to get it sorted? The council should also be doing more to breath new life into the historic centre of the city instead of just watching it decay & rot away!!!
megilleland Posted January 25, 2015 Report Posted January 25, 2015 What they need to do is go to a valuation tribunal and get their business rates revalued. Although I don't hold out much hope as the government and local authorities don't really like handing money back and work hand in glove with each other to make you pay regardless of the profitability of your business. Of course you can be a multi-national concern paying no rates as an enticement to move to a new shopping development, but this wouldn't happen in Hereford would it? However, there was a valuation principle in Rating that a property had to be valued on the assumption that it was vacant and available to rent. Consequently, the Rateable Value could be derived from the rent the hypothetical landlord would be prepared to accept from his or her tenant. 10 Signs you might need a Business Rates Review If your business has received its rates bill and you’re wondering if you can claim back some of the money or reduce it in future years, here are some simple things to look for: * Your property rent is lower than your rateable value * You have physically altered the property or sub-let part of it so that your own rental is less. * You don’t fully occupy the property * You have vacated or demolished part of your premises * Your local vacancy rates have increased * Your property is undergoing maintenance works sanctioned by the landlord * Your property is affected by maintenance works being carried out on a neighbouring building or roadworks * The Valuation Office has valued a reception or service area that is not within your control or is a communal area * The Valuation Office has served a notice on your property * The Valuation Office has an incorrect factual detail about your property. The Rateable Value The rateable value has historically been reassessed every FIVE years by the Valuation Office Agency (an executive agency of HM Revenues and Customs) and for most properties the rateable value represents an open market annual rent on a set date. Rateable values in the rating list currently in force from 1 April 2010 are using a rental valuation date of 1 April 2008 but physical factors affecting the property may alter that assessment if the Valuation Office is made aware of them. The Government is currently proposing a delay in the next revaluation so that the current rateable value will have effect until 31 March 2017 unless altered by the Valuation Officer and the occupier or owner has a right of appeal against their assessment (see Notes 10 - 13). From April 2012 Clause 69 of the Localism Act 2011 has amended section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to allow local authorities to provide a discount from the business rates of any local ratepayer. Although the Government has given Local authorities this new discretionary power, it is totally unfunded and the local authority will have to find the funding in full if it chooses to grant any new discounts. In reality, any new discretionary relief funding will have to be paid for by future increases in Council Tax Bills for the residents, from savings or increased charges for services or from funding currently already allocated to provide essential services to the community in general. If the Council were to consider awarding a discretionary discount we would have to be able to justify this, not only to Council Tax payers but also to other businesses who may be in a similar position and who might feel that they were being disadvantaged by a neighbour or competitor paying a lesser amount of rates. No budgetary allowance has been made for the funding of any new applications received under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 due to the insertion of clause 69 within the Localism Act. Ratepayers wishing to pursue this matter either individually or in partnership with other ratepayer will have to make a case which identifies the cost and duration for any application and which demonstrates that the benefit of providing extra discretionary rate relief will outweigh the financial or social costs to the Council Tax payers who will ultimately have to fund it. Each application will have to be considered on its own merits and within the constraints of existing budgets.
Denise Lloyd Posted August 7, 2017 Report Posted August 7, 2017 Looks like history is repeating itself Hereford Heckler shared The Booth Hall's post. 10 mins · Sad news. The Booth Hall 2 hrs · Aberhafesp · ly found out ourselves just days ago! Sadly after many months of giving our love, time sweat and soul into the building and the music scene the financial side of things eventually beat us and we had to make our peace with the fact we couldn't carry on! We must above all else thank all the people that made this journey possible, enjoyable, special and magical - the people who have facilitated music, supported us and all the people who came through our doors to share so many moments of happiness with us! We love you all for being our community for over a year and a half! With love to you all and a wish that you keep music alive always... And now sadly the booth must wish you a goodnight!
Colin James Posted August 7, 2017 Author Report Posted August 7, 2017 On 07/08/2017 at 13:20, Denise Lloyd said: Looks like history is repeating itself Hereford Heckler shared The Booth Hall's post. 10 mins · Sad news. The Booth Hall 2 hrs · Aberhafesp · ly found out ourselves just days ago! Sadly after many months of giving our love, time sweat and soul into the building and the music scene the financial side of things eventually beat us and we had to make our peace with the fact we couldn't carry on! We must above all else thank all the people that made this journey possible, enjoyable, special and magical - the people who have facilitated music, supported us and all the people who came through our doors to share so many moments of happiness with us! We love you all for being our community for over a year and a half! With love to you all and a wish that you keep music alive always... And now sadly the booth must wish you a goodnight! Sad news.
SON OF GRIDKNOCKER Posted August 8, 2017 Report Posted August 8, 2017 The oak hammer-beam roof, in the upper floor of the oldest part of the building - originally a merchants' hall and (as far as I know) not fired-damaged - was described by Pevsner, in his Herefordshire volume of Buildings of England, as 'outstanding'. Since it is not going to be a pub any longer, does that mean that some lucky yuppies will have a hand-crafted 15th century ceiling for the living room of their High Town apartment?
megilleland Posted August 8, 2017 Report Posted August 8, 2017 Nice set of photos here:Booth Hall Hotel Details from British Listed Buildings HEREFORDSO5139NW EAST STREET 683-1/7/155 (North side) 10/06/52 Booth Hall HotelGV II*Hotel. C18 and C19, with C15 wing, much altered, to north. MATERIALS: painted brick; hipped composite tile roof; 2 brick ridge stacks; brick stack to front. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys and cellar; 5-window range: C20, 6/6 and 1, 8/8, sashes, under segmental arches; parapet. Entrance to centre right: late C19, 2-leaf 4-panel door, and lattice glazed overlight, in moulded architrave under moulded hood on scrolled consoles; C20, 8/8 sash, to right; two C20, 6/6 sashes and part-glazed door, to left; segmental arches; storeyband. Left returned side: 2 early C20, 6/6 sashes to 1st and 2nd floors; similar sash and blocked opening, to ground floor; all under segmental arches; returned storeyband. Wing to right: timber-frame and plaster; plain tile roof; C20 stack to rear. INTERIOR: 1st floor hall: ceiling has cusped quatrefoil windbraces; C15 hammerbeam roof with carved spandrels and figureheads; pierced and moulded screen. Victorian Gothic screens, balcony, doors, panelling, fireplace with overmantel, leaded lights and staircase. HISTORY: The hall is thought to have been built between 1380 and 1400 and is said to be mentioned in a deed of 1392. In 1392 the building was acquired by the City by licence from the King because they had no place in which the Sessions of the Justices of Assize or of the Peace or the Pleas of the City might be held. It seems to have been used by the Mercers Company for their Guild Room from C16 until at least 1756. The basement was used as a freemen's prison. The building finally became an inn at the end of C18 or beginning of C19, and the Great Room was lost sight of in later alterations until the collapse of a chimney in 1919 revealed the presence of the carved roof. A former landlord is mentioned in Borrow's Lavengro. (Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club: 1981-: 165-170; Proceedings of the Woolhope Club: 1919-1921; RCHME).Also this website with up to date pictures:
Denise Lloyd Posted August 11, 2017 Report Posted August 11, 2017 Off topic Elts (Jones) has also shut up shop - another very fine building. NMITE will be jumping with joy!
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