A Brighton pub that was ordered to close after two people were stabbed in a brawl has been put up for sale.
The Montpelier Inn, which was also known as the Monty, in Montpelier Place, Brighton, is on the market, with neighbours keen for the building to become housing.
They urged Brighton and Hove City Council to revoke the pub’s licence and force it to close for good after a man and woman were stabbed there on Wednesday 4 November.
The man, 40, suffered life-threatening injuries and was treated at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton. Six people were arrested.
A council licensing panel was told that the pub had a sideline in hard drugs, with the police having found bulk quantities of narcotics, deal bags, scales and deal lists.
The pub’s licence was suspended for three months and several conditions were imposed before it would be allowed to reopen.
Commercial property agent Sibbett Gregory said that the freeholder, Ei, formerly Enterprise Inns, now part of the Stonegate Pub Company, wanted at least £900,000 for the three-storey grade II listed building.
Sibbett Gregory said that the building had a “ground floor trading area with basement below and two upper floors currently in residential use”.
The agent added that there was the potential for alternative or mixed use, including sympathetic redevelopment, subject to planning and listed building consent.
Green councillor Alex Phillips, who represents Regency ward, joined neighbours in pushing for the pub to shut and the building to be used for housing.
She said today: “It’s a really good outcome. It was three houses before. And it was a bakery in the 1800s.
“This is for the best. I really like community pubs. There are so many lovely pubs in the area that we never have complaints about.
“The residents deserve praise for their community campaign. They did an amazing job against a big corporation. It was like David v Goliath.”
It would be very sad to see this place turned into flats. The ground floor at least should be retained. Just because its been badly managed recently doesn’t mean its irredeemable as either a pub or restaurant etc.
I hope they turn it into a half way house for junkies and alcoholics.
Would p*** the neighbours RIGHT off!
Went in there a few times around 2000/2001 when I lived up the road, was a bit of a dive even back then!
Turn it back into the 3 houses it was originally, there are far too many pubs that are struggling, and this is one of them.
It should all be affordable housing eg 50k for key workers