Green Man

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Sean Delaney, 17 June 2021.

Fire at Green Man pub Hodsoll Street near New Ash Green.

The owner of a popular pub destroyed by fire says he's "lost everything".

Alex Brooks was speaking after a blaze ripped through the Green Man in Hodsoll Street near New Ash Green early today.

Photo of the pub this morning.

At the height of the incident, five fire engines, a height vehicle and a bulk water carrier were present.

Mr Brooks said: "I got the phone call about 3.40am from a neighbour and managed to get down here around 4am to find it all ablaze.

"I've lost everything – a laptop with all my business details and some family portraits going back 100 or so years.

"We've all busted a gut to get back up and running with everything that's happened this year and now this."

The 33-year-old said the past 12 months had been a struggle with the pandemic and problems finding staff because of Brexit.

Pub owner Alex Brooks says he's lost everything after fire destroyed the Green Man in Hodsall Street last night.

The dad-of-two took over the pub in 2017 with his partner Steph and says they spent £25,000 to get it Covid compliant.

"It just seems to be one thing after the other," he said. "The roof round the back – we'd just had that fixed."

This morning, as fire crews battled the blaze, it is understood water from a neighbour's swimming pool was used.

As of 11am, a fire engine and a crew from the technical rescue unit remained at the scene.

They are checking for remaining hot spots and assessing damage.

Fire service volunteers are also in attendance to provide support to affected residents.

Drone footage shows the extent of the damage at the pub. Credit: UKNIP.

A picture of the blaze was posted on the Vigo Village Life Facebook page.

Neighbour Gary Stickings said the pub was at the heart of the local community.

"We go there twice a week, Wednesday and Friday crew supporting it all through Covid as much as we can but I don't know what is going to happen," said the 58-year-old.

"The village fete is meant to be next week. Just a big big shame."

Fire investigators say they have not yet determined the exact cause of the blaze but have said it is believed to have been started accidentally.

Reporting from the scene, Sean Delaney said the building had been totally gutted by the fire with the roof destroyed.

Members of the public have speculated the pub was hit by lightning, but this has not been confirmed at this stage.

Machinery – brought in to deal with the damage – is currently pulling guttering away from the building.

No casualties have been reported and the cause is not yet known.

Countdown to save destroyed Green Man pub site in Hodsoll Street after it was struck by lightning near New Ash Green.

A two-week countdown is on to save an historic 137-year-old pub from possible redevelopment after it was struck by lightning and destroyed in a fire.

The Green Man has been the beating heart of the community in the quiet hamlet of Hodsoll Street, in between New Ash Green and Vigo, for decades.

An aerial photo of the gutted Green Man pub before it was demolished.

But tragedy struck last summer after it was hit by lightning and its timber frames reduced to crumbling piles of ash following a huge blaze.

At the height of the blaze in the early hours of June 16, five fire engines fought the flames and water was drained and pumped from a nearby swimming pool to help put them out. The building had to be demolished a few weeks later.

In the aftermath, residents rallied together to raise thousands of pounds for it and devastated landlord Alex Brooks, who had pledged to rebuild the popular boozer "as soon as possible".

But villagers say they now find themselves in a race against time to salvage their hopes of resurrecting the pub.

It comes after owner The Stonegate Group declared its intention to dispose of the site, prompting fears it could be sold off for housing.

Following a local-led campaign, Ash-cum-Ridley Parish Council registered it as an asset of community value (ACV) at the end of last year.

This provides the community with the opportunity to bid for the property in the event of a sale and gives them a six-month period to put together the necessary funding.

The Green Man Recovery Group was set up by the residents to explore all options to save the site, but it claims all attempts to engage in meaningful dialogue with the pub company have been ignored.

Local resident Sally Samuels, who set up the group, claims calls to discuss the viability of a local bid have been "stonewalled".

She said: "There is a small group of us who have got together and we are doing our best basically to get Stonegate just to agree to a meeting.

"But the problem we have is they have not agreed to that because there is still an active lease with the landlord."

That lease is now drawing to a close but time is now of the essence with less than two weeks for villagers to put together a bid before the ACV expires.

A fire destroyed the Green Man pub in Hodsoll Street near New Ash Green and Vigo Village.

"It is really frustrating because we do feel like they are holding back until April 27," added Sally. "They have not given us any time at all.

"We can put a bid in but it does not mean they are going to accept it. A meeting is all we are asking for – a chat to see where it is going."

In the meantime, Sally says they could apply for an extension to the ACV moratorium but this would need to be explored with the council.

There are recent examples of pubs designated as ACVs being saved.

Nearby, the the "Plough Inn" in Trottiscliffe was rescued from property developers in 2020 after it was marked as a community asset and villagers dipped into their own coffers to save the pub.

Hodsoll Street has one of the largest concentrations of Grade II period properties in the Sevenoaks district.

The Green Man pub in Hodsoll Street was demolished weeks after the fire. Photo: Katie May Nelson.

But the "Plough Inn" does not hold such status and unlike The Plough Inn, an existing building is not already in place to work with, explains Sally.

The local campaigner said: "The problem we have is we have nothing on the site. Anyone who has changed these sites around, they have a building to work with.

"So first we have to got to secure the land to say it is a community piece of land and we can do something, that is our step forward.

She added: "Raising funds is a huge ask but it is a long way off for us before we start anything."

At the time of the blaze last summer, residents were left shocked and devastated with some describing it as "horrific" and like losing an "old friend".

Landlord Alex Brooks said it was a focal part of village life, adding a lot of his regulars "were at a loss as to where to go".

Nearly 100 people came out to support a campaign to save the Green Man Pub in Hodsoll Street from redevelopment. Photo: Sally Samuels/The Green Man Recovery Group.

On Sunday, nearly 100 people came out to show their support for rebuilding the pub and guarding against unwanted development.

Sally said she was "bowled over" by the turnout, adding: "We had a fantastic turnout of locals who came along to show their support, including dogs and two beautiful horses."

Ten months on she says the sentiment towards rebuilding the pub remains the same.

"Talking to people, it has been nearly a year since the pub burnt down and they still passionately and desperately want a pub," she said.

"One man said he used to come a couple of hours one afternoon because he lived by himself, and he really misses it.

"We are quite a small community, we don't have big shops or a high street and the pub was a place for a lot of people to get together."

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson has also expressed his preference for the pub to be rebuilt but expressed doubts.

"It would be wonderful if we could achieve that but it will be difficult," the Tory said in reference to the long-term trend of permanent pub closures.

Despite this, Mr Johnson hoped a deal could be struck so that some form of community asset could be built in its place.

A spokesman for Stonegate Group said: “We understand the frustrations arising from the delay regarding progress at the Green Man, however the discussions with the current tenant have not been concluded and therefore we cannot progress the future outcome of the pub at this stage.”

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk 18 July 2022.

Historic Green Man pub site in Hodsoll Street near New Ash Green listed for sale.

The site of a fire-ravaged country pub which burnt down after being struck by lightning has been listed for sale.

A devastating blaze ripped through the Green Man in Hodsoll Street last summer reducing much of the bricks and mortar to dust.

It had overlooked the green in the quiet hamlet between New Ash Green and Vigo for more than 130 years and was described by villagers as the beating heart of the community.

At the height of the blaze in the early hours of June 16, five fire engines fought the flames and water was drained and pumped from a nearby swimming pool to assist. The building had to be demolished a few weeks later.

In the aftermath, the 7,000-strong community rallied together to raise thousands of pounds for it and devastated landlord Alex Brooks, who ran the pub for more than four years with wife Steph and had pledged to rebuild the popular boozer "as soon as possible".

But a tricky post-pandemic pub landscape and the upcoming expiry of the lease meant this was no longer feasible.

The Stonegate Group then declared its intention to dispose of the site, prompting fears among residents it could be sold off for housing.

Following a local-led campaign, Ash-cum-Ridley Parish Council registered it as an asset of community value (ACV) at the end of last year.

The site has since been fully cleared and has now been listed for sale as a potential residential development, subject to planning permission.

According to the listing by property specialists Drake & Company it has been instructed to invite "unconditional offers" for the benefit of its "client’s freehold interest with vacant possession".

Meanwhile, the Green Man Recovery Group, which was set up by residents to save the site, is exploring its options.

Local resident Sally Samuels, who helped set up the group, said: "We are in the process of putting together a community bid. We're not there yet but working our way towards it."

She has spoken previously of the campaign's struggles to engage with the owners, The Stonegate Pub company, and says approaches have so far been "stonewalled".

However, there are recent blueprints for pubs designated as ACVs being saved.

Nearby, The "Plough Inn" in Trottiscliffe was rescued from property developers in 2020 after it was marked as a community asset and villagers dipped into their own coffers to save it.

Hodsoll Street has one of the largest concentrations of Grade II period properties in the Sevenoaks district.

But The Green Man does not hold such status and unlike The "Plough Inn," an existing building is not already in place to work with.

At the time of the blaze last summer, residents were left shocked and devastated with some describing it as "horrific" and like losing an "old friend".

Former landlord Alex Brooks said it was a focal part of village life, adding a lot of his regulars "were at a loss as to where to go".

Neighbours speak of their devastation at the fire.

In April, nearly 100 people gathered outside the site to show their support for rebuilding the pub and guarding against any unwanted future development.

Dartford MP Gareth Johnson has also expressed his preference for the pub to be rebuilt but expressed doubts.

"It would be wonderful if we could achieve that but it will be difficult," the Tory said in reference to the long-term trend of permanent pub closures.

Mr Johnson hoped a deal could be struck so that some form of community asset could be built in its place.

Elsewhere, another of the Dartford's historic pubs has recently closed with no immediate plans to re-open.

The "Welsh Tavern" in London Road, Stone, has been around since 1827 with the current building erected around the 1870s on what was a former toll road.

It is another of Stonegate's pubs where a decision was taken not to renew the lease and the keys handed back to the owners.

A closing date for offers on The Green Man site has been listed as September 21.

The Stonegate group was approached for comment.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Sean Delaney, 2 November 2022.

Villagers vow to save Green Man pub site in Hodsoll Street near New Ash Green.

Villagers have vowed to "battle on" and "pick off" developers in their fight to restore and reopen a fire-ravaged country pub to its former glory after failing in their bid to salvage the site.

A devastating blaze ripped through the Green Man in Hodsoll Street last year after it was hit by a lightning bolt which gutted its timber frames.

It had overlooked the green in the quiet hamlet between New Ash Green and Vigo for more than 130 years and was described by villagers as the beating heart of the community.

At the height of the blaze in the early hours of June 16 last year, five fire engines fought the flames and water was drained and pumped from a neighbouring home's swimming pool to assist. The building had to be demolished a few weeks later.

In the aftermath, the 7,000-strong community rallied together to raise thousands of pounds to rebuild it and assist devastated landlord Alex Brooks, who ran the pub for more than four years with wife Steph.

But a tricky post-pandemic pub landscape and the upcoming expiry of the lease meant this was no longer feasible and Alex has since stepped away.

The now flattened site, which was declared an asset of community value (ACV) towards the end of last year, was later put up for sale by the Stonegate pub group.

Final bids were received up until by September 21 including by The Green Man Recovery Group – a collective group of residents – who want to rebuild the historic boozer.

But after now being told unofficially that their bid has been unsuccessful there are fears it could be sold off to housing developers.

The community put in a "significantly above market value bid" supported by MPs, councillors and villagers but have been told a "much higher bid" has now been accepted – although this has not been confirmed officially.

Sally Samuels, member of The Green Man Recovery Group, said: "It is obviously being sold to a developer with the intention of building houses.

"The community are completely devastated and shocked that Stonegate are looking to profit from the site."

In recent weeks she says villagers have seen various people walking around the site with an architect who informed them theirs had been a successful bid.

The group understand the winning offer is "considerably more".

Sally did not wish to disclose the financial value of their own bid for fearing of prejudicing it should others fall through.

But she added: "We are really upset because we did put in a good-sized bid. It was over and above the actual cost of the actual land the building was on."

Sally says pubs are closing all the time in the area but the group had drawn inspiration from success stories nearby such as the "Plough" at Trottiscliffe, also an ACV.

The boozer was recently paid a visit by reappointed Security Minister and Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat.

Back in 2020, Enterprise Inns declared The Plough in Taylors Lane unviable and announced they would put it up for sale for housing.

But 112 villagers were determine to prove them wrong and dipped into their own pockets to raise the £570,000 necessary to buy and refurbish the building which is now owned by Trottiscliffe Community Benefit Society.

And while they don't have a building to work with, Sally believes there is a similar demand for the Green Man.

She added: "Even in this [economic] climate it is possible to get something up and running serving the community and also making a profit to keep whoever is running it going."

Despite their disappointment, villagers have vowed to "battle on" and "pick-off" any developers looking to encroach upon the hamlet which is surrounded by the most concentrated group of listed buildings in Kent.

Sally said the efforts to help shape their bid had actually brought them closer together as they rallied around a common cause.

"The community will be up in arms and will push back as hard as it can," she said. "We are going to do what we can to pick off the developers as and when they turn up.

"We are going to make it as difficult as possible or at least ensure it is done properly and legitimately."

She added: "A developer might look at it and think that's a brownfield site.

"We have to make them aware it's not like that. It is a much more problematic site than it looks. We are constantly chipping away at little bits of information."

The Stonegate group was approached for comment.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Sean Delaney, 13 May 2025.

Plans to rebuild lightning-struck Green Man pub in Hodsoll Street, near New Ash Green approved.

Plans to get “spades in the ground” and rebuild a “greatly missed” country pub which burnt down after being struck by lightning have taken a huge stride forward.

Villagers are “cautiously optimistic” The Green Man pub in Hodsoll Street could soon be returned to its former glory, in the same spot overlooking the green, four years on from the tragedy.

The historic hostelry had sat in the quiet hamlet, sandwiched between New Ash Green and Vigo, for more than 130 years and was described by villagers as the beating heart of the community.

At the height of the blaze in the early hours of June 16, 2021, five fire engines fought the flames and crews drained and pumped water from a nearby swimming pool to bring the fire under control.

But just weeks later, the council’s building control department declared what remained of the timber structures unsafe and ordered the site be flattened.

Since then, the former pub site has sat a derelict eyesore, much to the frustration of the 7,000-strong community who had rallied to raise funds to save it and have the pub designated an asset of community value.

They grouped together to form the Green Man Recovery group and put together a £250,000 bid based on rebuilding the pub on-site, but it was turned down by the site’s former owners, the Stonegate Group, who opted for another bidder.

However, the prayers of villagers may now have been answered following the approval of plans lodged with Sevenoaks council by the new owners for the construction of a replacement boozer - albeit with a different design and room for B&B-style accommodation.

Ash-cum-Ridley Parish Council said it was broadly supportive “to at last see plans to replace this greatly missed pub”.

However, it also acknowledged the “many challenges” facing such pubs in the post-pandemic landscape and expressed a desire for a design which “fits” with the conservation area while also giving it the “maximum chance” of commercial success.

Parish Cllr Frank Cottee told KentOnline they were “all taken by surprise” when the application was initially submitted but there was both “support” and “suspicion” subject to them “ferreting out” more of the finer details.

“What we said right at the outset was, we're clearly delighted to have an application, but we will do everything we can to make sure that it can succeed commercially,” he said.

“We read it more as an outline, which is why we made so many detailed comments.

“And I think that we also said at the end of our response, we look forward to a resubmission of the plans to take on these ideas. And basically, what we've done is we divided our comments into two parts.

“One was strictly about the commercial viability of the projected plans. And secondly, and the two are rather related, about their fit in a conservation area.”

Cllr Cottee, who himself resides in the peaceful hamlet, said villagers attended a local planning meeting prior to its approval where they discussed all the “pros and cons”.

At the meeting they heard from a representative of the new owners, Alchemy Estates (Holywell) Limited, whose director is beef farmer and land and property developer Mark Stoneham, who was brought up on his family farm in the Kent countryside.

“The building [proposed] looks like a pub, but it also looks like a house,” Cllr Cottee added. “It has a large number of, basically, B&B flats over it, two storeys worth. I think there are six altogether. And we felt that was excessive.

“We also made a comment that there's no accommodation for a landlord. We suggested it would be much more realistic if he wanted a pub to succeed, to have some of those B&Bs consolidated into a flat”.

This, he suggests, would provide a proper living quarters for a landlord, who would then be “incentivised to stay”.

“There's a huge application for the golf course up on the A20, which includes an awful lot of B&B accommodation,” he added. “I don't think six B&Bs in a teeny hamlet like Hodsoll Street is realistic at all.”

Cllr Penny Cole (Con), who represents the area at the district level, was also cautiously optimistic to see the plans progress.

She believes the next steps will now be the new owners getting the “necessary funding in place”.

“The owner's contractor came to the parish council meeting and did sincerely tell them and residents who were there that the owner really wants to have a pub back there, so I have no reason to believe otherwise, and he said that he needs to get the necessary funding in place,” she explained.

“So I presume until that funding is in place, it won't start being built, but we are all delighted that at least the planning permission is in place to get a pub back.”

Cllr Cole said she had no doubt the residents, who still regularly meet in the village hall every Friday night in the absence of their pub, would return as soon as it’s reopened.

“They will be using it, absolutely, and promoting it in a wider area to ensure it is financially viable,” she added.

The applicants said in their submissions the scheme had been designed to be consistent with the size and scale of the previous venue and to ensure it blends in a “visually pleasing way” with the wider conservation area.

Compared to the overall layout of the former public house the proposed scheme has a “more compact form”, they said.

Changes will be made to improve the functionality of the ground floor bar/restaurant and to provide for a small number of rooms at first floor and attic level which can be let out to pub customers.

Cllr Cole said the builder, who she did not name but said lived locally in Hartley, has fulfilled a number of projects for the new owner locally.

“He's done a lot of projects for him and I know him personally outside of this application,” she explained. “So, he's done a lot of building work around, and I have no reason to not trust what he tells me.”

In total, the application received 101 letters of support and just four objections.

Cllr Cottee understands it to be one of the biggest responses the parish council has ever seen to a planning application it’s been consulted over, and in his view, reiterates the strength of feeling towards the pub’s return.

“By the time we had that meeting, we had, well, I actually lost count of the number of responses,” he added.

Ash-cum-Ridley Parish councillor Frank Cottee said the parish council had welcomed the application but were keen to scrutinise the finer details. Photo: Ash-cum-Ridley Parish Council website.

“It's more than I've ever seen for any other planning application, with the possible exception of the local solar farm application, and I must confess, I didn't read every single one, but the gist was obviously very supportive, but also very suspicious.”

Sevenoaks council approved the application last month, stating the proposal would be an “acceptable form of development” and is compliant with local and national planning policies.

At the time of the pub blaze in summer 2021, residents were left shocked and devastated with some describing it as “horrific” and like losing an “old friend”.

Former landlord Alex Brooks, who had struggled like many hospitality venues through Brexit and the pandemic to get the pub up and running, previously spoke of how he’d “lost everything” in the blaze.

He said it was a focal part of village life, adding a lot of his regulars “were at a loss as to where to go”.

In April the following year, nearly 100 people gathered outside the site to show their support for rebuilding the pub and guarding against any unwanted future development.

Alchemy Estates were approached for comment.

Owners reveal intention to sell The Green Man pub site in Hodsoll Street months after plans approved to rebuild it scuppered.

Developers who wanted to rebuild a cherished country pub which burnt down after being struck by lightning say they’ve had to “abandon the dream” after costs “ballooned”.

Plans to restore The Green Man in Hodsoll Street in the same spot, albeit with a different design and room for B&B-style accommodation, were approved in April.

Alchemy Estates (Holywell) Limited, whose director is beef farmer and developer Mark Stoneham, who was brought up on his family farm in the Kent countryside, were behind the scheme.

However, seven months on, it has now been revealed that the owners of the site, between New Ash Green and Vigo, have told Sevenoaks council they intend to dispose of it.

Mark Stoneham told KentOnline he has been forced to give up on the redevelopment due to the increasing building and future running costs.

In a statement he added: “My family farmed the surrounding area and I was brought up in Hodsoll Street and enjoyed my first (probably illegal) pint at The Green Man.

”My family provided the land for the playground, and my grandfather led the fundraising for the Village Hall, so there is a tradition of the Stoneham family supporting the local community.

“My intention was to rebuild the pub and keep it as an investment by renting it to someone who would create a nice community pub.

“I have paid for a lovely design and obtained a planning consent after various studies for ecology and bats.

“Unfortunately, the build costs have inflated by 40% and have ballooned, and the operating costs of staff, national insurance, rates and compliance have also increased to a point at which the pub is commercially unviable.

“Pub rents have also reduced, so we are faced with a perfect storm.

“I tried to renegotiate the purchase cost with the owners to try and save the scheme, but unfortunately, I was not able to agree on revised terms, so I have been forced to abandon the dream at great personal and financial cost.”

Mr Stoneham, who had previously been involved in a high profile planning row which erupted over a barn conversion in the quiet hamlet, also addressed some of the noise around his involvement in the pub project.

“Sadly, I have faced a lot of criticism from some of the more vocal local residents rather than any praise or thanks,” he added.

“But at least I have paid for and obtained a planning consent for a delightful pub building that might come to fruition one day.”

The historic hostelry had sat in the quiet hamlet for more than 130 years and was described by villagers as the beating “heart of the community” before the blaze hit in the early hours of June 16, 2021.

Weeks later, Sevenoaks council’s building control department declared what remained of the timber structures unsafe and ordered the site to be flattened.

Since then, the former pub site has sat as a derelict eyesore, much to the frustration of the 7,000-strong community who had rallied to raise funds to save it and have it designated an asset of community value (ACV).

They came together to form the Green Man Recovery group, which has since revealed it will be submitting a bid to purchase the land.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Sally Samuels, said: “The Green Man has always been at the heart of our community.

“We know how much its loss has been felt, and this is our chance to bring it back, together. We want to give everyone the opportunity to be part of rebuilding something truly special for our village’s future.

“We remain committed to ensuring The Green Man is not just rebuilt, but reborn as a thriving community asset for generations to come.”

The Green Man was demolished weeks after the fire. Picture: Katie May Nelson.

Anyone interested in supporting the bid or getting involved is asked to contact Sally at greenmanrecoverygroup@gmail.com.

A spokesman for Sevenoaks council has confirmed it has already received an intention to bid for The Green Man, and the owners of the pub have been notified.

This means that the sale cannot proceed until the six-month moratorium period ends on March 24.

During that time, the owners can choose to sell to the community group, but are under no obligation to do so.

However, they cannot sell the property on the open market until after the six months have elapsed.

At the time of the pub blaze in summer 2021, residents were left shocked and devastated, with some describing it as “horrific” and like losing an “old friend”.

It was knocked down after the fire.

Former landlord Alex Brooks, who had struggled like many hospitality venues through Brexit and the pandemic to get the pub up and running, previously spoke of how he had “lost everything” in the blaze.

He said the boozer was a focal part of village life, adding a lot of his regulars “were at a loss as to where to go”.

In April 2022, nearly 100 people gathered outside the site to show their support for rebuilding the pub and guarding against any unwanted future development.