Tregear Pottery have been based on the High Street in Niton since 2011, taking on the lease after the departure of the Real Island Food Company.
Last month it was revealed that the owners of the property intend to turn the site of the popular and much-loved pottery into residential housing. There has since been an outpouring of support for the pottery and objections have flooded in to the council’s planning portal.
Application withdrawn
The plans would have seen Tregear Pottery evicted from their base of the last ten years, so Catherine and Neil Tregear are celebrating today (Tuesday) after receiving a handwritten letter from the owners of the property, stating that the planning application will be withdrawn.
News OnTheWight has written to owner, Jackie Phillips, to confirm when the application will be withdrawn. She has responded to our email, but chose not to confirm or deny whether or when the application will be withdrawn.
We further offered to give her an opportunity to put her side of the story, but as yet she hasn’t taken up the offer. If we do hear back from here, we’ll update the piece.
Closed during Covid
Up until earlier this month, Tregear Pottery had been closed due to the Covid pandemic, with the two local staff members furloughed.
Now that it has reopened to the public, the pottery has seen a steady flow of customers in the village.
Recovering from major and extensive surgery
However, Covid Lockdown and the threat of eviction has not been the only difficulty that Neil and Catherine Tregear have had to deal with.
Neil is only recently back home from Southampton Hospital recovering from major and extensive surgery. He’s on the mend, but not yet well enough to return to the studio.
Extension to lease promised in 2019
With Lockdown and Neil’s surgery to contend with, the planning application was another blow for the Tregears.
The planning statement prepared by Jackie Phillips’ agent, Phil Salmon, states:
“The lease for this business will come to an end during the Summer 2021.”
This was very confusing for the Tregears to read, as Ms Phillips had already agreed in July 2019 that when the current lease came to an end (Summer 2021), it would be extended for a minimum of three years six months.
Indeed, the extension of the lease featured in the Tregears’ recent application for an Isle of Wight Rural Fund application to improve the pottery premises.
Lack of retail demand?
Phil Salmon’s planning statement refers to the lack of demand for the retail unit between the butcher’s shop closing in 2006 and the Real Island Food Company (Jackie Phillips’ company) using the premises between 2009-2011. His statement says:
“Demand for the premises as a business site and retail unit has previously been extremely limited.”
It’s not clear why Phil Salmon focused on the retail demand from over a decade ago and failed to mention that the pottery had been on the site for ten years choosing instead to refer to it as “most recently been used as a pottery workshop”.
It’s also not clear why the property is described as the “former butcher’s shop”, given that particular business vacated the property over 16 years ago.
News OnTheWight has asked Mr Salmon these and other questions and will update this article once we hear back from him.
The demand is there
When News OnTheWight ran the article about the planning application, Catherine says she was approached by at least two people, who having read the article were under the impression the Tregears were leaving.
Catherine told News OnTheWight,
“One person contacted me saying she’d like to set up another hairdressers on the premises – another person was interested as a combined local craft retailer.”
Lawyers instructed
Despite having to cope with Neil’s recovery after major and extensive surgery, the Tregears say they are determined to fight any application that seeks to have them evicted from the site. They have instructed Steve Murrell from London lawyers, Macfarlanes LLP.
Prior to receiving the letter from the owners this week, Catherine told News OnTheWight,
“Although we have received a notice which seeks to bring the lease to an end, that is not the end of the matter because we wish to stay.
“In any event we will only have to leave if the local authority allow the planning application and if the owner can produce evidence to support the grounds upon which she has sought to bring the tenancy to an end.”
Thanks to volunteers
Whilst Neil is recovering from major and extensive surgery and Catherine is tied up taking care of him, the village has rallied around and a band of friendly volunteers are keeping the showroom open.
Catherine and Neil would like to pass on their heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who have stepped in to help at this difficult time.
Don’t forget that the studio and showroom are open all week 10am-1pm (Tues-Sat) and will have throwing demonstrations from Tregear Pottery proteges, Chloe Rosetta Bell and Hugo Bilton.
