Zoe Moffatt
Romsey could become a town with a pub once again.
On Friday, February 24, the Romsey Football Football Netball Club committee announced its plan to reopen the Romsey Hotel.
Owner and long-time hotelier Jim Hogan closed the pub in October 2017 and put the property on the market, leaving the town without a pub for the first time in over 150 years.
In a Facebook post, the club proposed they would lease and run the hotel with the profits to be shared by the local community.
“The distribution of all profits to local clubs and charities is to be decided by a board of Trustees, made up of eminent local people, annually,” the post said.
Club spokesman Darryn Hartnet said “the idea is that the pub would meet the community needs [and be a] holistic approach in terms of [these] needs”.
“The club intends to reach out to the service clubs and RSLs to try and accommodate their needs.”
The club has detailed plans to renovate the hotel to include al-fresco dining out the front, with a high end interior café and wine bar.
“[The] expected employment will be 100, providing full and part-time work, and importantly apprenticeships for local young people,” the post said.
“It will be a great social and economic asset for the area”.
Mr Hartnet said the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with over a thousand positive responses to the proposals request for the community to vote.
In response to the Facebook post some users expressed concern over the presence of pokies in the venue.
“Looking broadly at what the facilities would be, there clearly would likely be entertainment options in the club,” Mr Hartnet said.
“We’re looking at all the various options.. a TAB… a sports bar concept.”
Mr Hartnet said the club is looking forward to talking to council and getting started once the necessary approvals have been granted.
