A HISTORIC pub in Frizinghall is closing its doors to customers next weekend.

The Turf, owned by Wear Inns, has been sold and locals say they understand it may be turned into an Indian restaurant.

The pub, on Keighley Road near its junction with Emm Lane, was formerly known as The Park and underwent a complete refurbishment and change of name in autumn 2012.

A plaque on the front of the building states it was rebuilt in 1894.

One customer, who wished to remain anonymous, said the pub was set to close next Sunday.

They said: “This local meeting point has been around for over 200 years, do we really need another curry house?

“They tried at the Spotted House a few years ago which is less than half a mile away and now derelict.

“My fear is this could happen to such a historic building in the community.

“It is really an end of an era.”

A spokesman for Wear Inns, which has a portfolio of 26 pubs across Yorkshire and the North East, said: “We are constantly reviewing our estate to ensure our community-focused pubs provide good value.

“Wear Inns has owned The Turf since 2012, and in 2013 spent a significant sum on refurbishing the pub as well as upgrading the food and drink offering.

“The Turf continued to trade profitably, however an attractive offer has been made to buy the pub and having taken a long-term view on return on investment it makes business sense for us to go ahead with the sale.

“We will do everything we can to support affected staff, including trying to find alternative employment within our other pubs.”

The pub’s manager confirmed that the Turf’s last day of trading would be Sunday, January 29, but said he did not wish to comment any further.

Fleurets Leisure Property Specialists, who have been marketing the property, said they could not disclose who the buyer was.

It was rumoured to have been the 3 Singhs Restaurant, based on Sticker Lane, but a spokesman for the eatery said that was definitely not the case and it had no interest in the site.

Members of a group trying to re-open another pub in the area said the loss of The Turf added even further weight to their campaign.

The Save The Kings Arms group, which is hoping to save the 200-year-old pub of the same name, in Highgate, Heaton, wants to create Bradford’s first community pub by supporters buying shares in a new co-operative company.

The pub, which is owned by Enterprise Inns and listed as an Asset of Community Value, closed last May and is on the market for around £235,000.

The group is looking to raise £250,000 to buy, refurbish, and re-open the business, consisting of at least £150,000 via the share offer and £100,000 in grants and loans.

Shares are being sold in blocks of a minimum of £250 up to a maximum of £30,000 and each shareholder gets one vote to elect the co-operative’s directors and have a say in how the pub will be run.

Sonja McNally, chairman of the Friends of the Kings Arms group, said applications for shares had been “flooding in”, with around £40,000 worth now sold.

She said: “Heaton residents are determined to save the Kings, the heart of our village for 200 years.

“We are receiving applications from current residents, from people who now live away and want to give back to their former hometown, and from supporters of traditional pubs.

“This is the last chance to save a pub and a community-owned and controlled space in Heaton.”

Fellow campaign group member and spokesman for the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) group in Bradford, Kerr Kennedy, said: “We want to see a community-owned pub in Heaton as an example for other Bradford communities in the same situation. Bradford CAMRA are supporting us and many of its 1,100 local members are among the subscribers.”

The management committee state they want the pub to be a “centre for all communities of Heaton”, with space for alcohol-free events alongside a traditional pub and a live music venue.

A further public meeting to discuss the scheme will take place at Heaton Village Hall on Tuesday, before the share offer formally closes a week today.

For further information, visit www.kingsarms-heaton.co.uk.

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