Crooked House pub owners behind large Banburyshire fishing village plan

Local people have expressed alarm about the planning application put in by ATE Farms of Lutterworth, run by Adam Taylor, who was a director along with his wife, Carly, of the Crooked House pub last year – Mrs Taylor at the time of the suspected arson attack last August and Mr Taylor in December.

The fishing village plan is for agricultural land directly adjacent to the controversial motocross track, which has caused friction between organisers of competitions attracting riders from all around the UK, and local villages who have complained of race-weekend noise and traffic.

ATE Farms has put in a planning application to Cherwell District Council for two fishing lakes, two ribbon lakes, 15 ‘holiday accommodation’ units, eight pods and a 60-space car park with a new entrance to the A422 Banbury – Stratford Road.

The proposal is spread over 42 acres and shows a ‘management building’ with residential amenities, reception, a kitchen and cafe area. The site has the Indian Queen restaurant on one side and the motocross track on the other.

The fishing lakes would be 10,000 square metres and 30,000 square metres and there would be enough room for approximately 81 fishing pegs. The applicants say the fishing village would provide two full-time and four part-time jobs.

The application says: “The internal access road would comprise a loop arrangement, extending past both fishing lakes and also include a connection to the adjacent field on the southwestern edge of Stratford Road (A422) facilitated by the existing tunnel. The use of the proposed loop road should ensure that vehicle speeds are kept below the aspirational limit of 20 mph.”However, eagle-eyed neighbours spotted a second site plan in a power point presentation for the proposal showing 48 holiday lodges, 23 pods and a 120-space car park.

Companies House records show that Adam Taylor and Carly Taylor have, at various times, swapped directorships of both ATE Farms Ltd, the Crooked House and AT Contracting and Plant Hire, which owns a landfill at Finmere which suffered a major fire in 2018 with 400 tonnes of waste reportedly being set alight.

The Banbury Guardian has attempted to contact Mr Taylor at ATE Farms, AT Contracting and Plant Hire without success.

The Crooked House – Britain's 'wonkiest pub' – in Himley, Staffordshire was burned down and subsequently demolished just weeks after thousands signed a petition to save it from permanent closure.

South Staffordshire District Council has ordered the owners to rebuild the pub within three years.

However the property was sold in January and permanently closed after 192 years of trading. A joint investigation by police, fire service and the council is still in operation. Six people were arrested and remain on police bail.

The plan reference number for the fishing village proposal is on the Cherwell District Council planning portal. The reference number is 24/00375/F

See https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/24/00375/F.