‘Ghost town’ fears as Wetherspoons puts ‘best’ boozer up for sale following 44 closures

PUNTERS have been left distraught after Wetherspoons confirmed it is putting one of its boozers up for sale following a string of closures.

The popular pub chain is set to put the Thomas Drummond in Fleetwood near Blackpool on the market within weeks.

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A spokesperson said the site will continue to trade as normal until it is sold, meaning it may not close if a suitable buyer is found.

They added: “We can confirm that Wetherspoon is putting The Thomas Drummond, its pub in Fleetwood, on the market.

“The company, does on occasion, put some of its pubs up for sale.”

Local punters have been left dismayed after discovering the boozer, described by one visitor on Google Reviews as “the best value Wetherspoons”, could close its doors for good.

One said: “It’s such a shame it’s good value for money I go every week with a friend for coffee sometime a lunch think there’s a lot of people just meet up there.”

Another said: “Last nail in Fleetwood’s coffin,” while a third added: “Will be missed by many I’m sure.”

A fourth commented: “It’s always busy, it makes no sense at all.”

And a fifth said: “Omg!!! As if this is closing it’s gonna be a bloody ghost town Fleetwood!!”

It comes after The Sun exclusively revealed as many as 19 Wetherspoon drinking spots could close for good.

The White Hart in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, will close on March 15 when it transfers to a new owner.

Meanwhile, the Resolution in Middlesborough has already shut its doors, and the chain will terminate its lease on June 23.

The chain – which runs over 800 pubs across the UK – warned in September 2022 it was putting dozens up for sale.

Almost half a dozen pubs remain up for sale, while 14 sites are currently under offer.

This means that a buyer has presented an offer that is being considered by the seller.

It doesn’t mean that the sale is guaranteed, and it could remain open if it doesn’t complete.

The five pubs that are up for sale are:

• The Pontlottyn, Abertillery
• The Ivor Davies, Cardiff
• The Market Cross, Holywell
• The Rochester Castle, London
• Foot of the Walk, Edinburgh

Meanwhile, 14 Wetherspoons branches are currently under offer:

• Asparagus, Battersea, London
• Wrong ‘Un, Bexleyheath
• The Gate House, Doncaster
• Jolly Sailor, Bristol
• The Mockbeggar Hall, Moreton
• The Alfred Herring, Palmers Green
• The Cross Keys, Pebbles
• The Sir Norman Rae, Shipley
• Spa Lane Vaults, Chesterfield
• Lord Arthur Lee, Fareham
• The Regent, Kirkby in Ashfield
• The Sir Daniel Arms, Swindon
• The Hain Line, St Ives
• The Quay, Poole

But it’s not all bad news as some pubs put up for sale by Wetherspoons have since come off the market, including the Sennockian in Sevenoaks.

Meanwhile, The Plough and Harrow in London has been removed from the sales listing on the Savills estate agent website, however its future as part of the chain remains uncertain.

Wetherspoons’ boss Tim Martin also said last month the chain still had its sights set on running 1,000 venues across the UK.

It comes as a number of pub chains close sites or make major changes to combat cost pressures.

Greene King told The Sun in November it was gearing up to close its Manor House boozer in Portsmouth, without revealing an exact date.

Meanwhile, Stonegate, the group which runs Yate’s and Slug and Lettuce pubs, sparked fury last year by hiking the price of drinks from 5pm to 7pm to offset rising operational costs.

The “dynamic pricing” strategy saw some punters charged £7.60 instead of £7.05 at peak times.

It’s not just pub chains that have been hit hard either. A number of retailers have been closing branches across the UK.

This week, administrators confirmed they would close almost half of The Body Shop’s 198 stores in a major blow for the high street.

Wilko and Paperchase both went bust last year which saw thousands of stores close and workers lose their jobs.

But it’s not been all bad news as a number of retailers have been expanding their physical presence across the UK.

Asda is massively expanding its portfolio of smaller Express stores, with plans to open 110 by the end of February.

Earlier this month, Primark confirmed plans to open new branches and invest and renovate more than a dozen of its existing shops.

Meanwhile, Wilko has made a comeback on the high street, opening stores in Plymouth, Luton and Exeter before the end of last year.

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk