'This bar was my dream, but now it has to close'

A Leicestershire bar owner says she is "gutted" as she prepares to close her venue for the final time.

Charlie Donovan has run Charlie's Bar in Melton Mowbray since October 2021 but will shut on New Year's Day, when her licence to operate from the King Street building expires.

The lease of the building was held by a private firm, which sublet to Ms Donovan, but this was returned to owner Melton Borough Council, which will now sell the building as it will take "significant investment" to bring it to a "lettable standard".

Ms Donovan, 34, said: "I feel very gutted, I don't think it's quite hit me yet [the closure], but I think it's definitely on the way to devastation."

"This bar was my dream, I started off as a bartender for the previous tenants, it then changed to another bar where I became manager, then I got the chance to run it myself," she added.

Ms Donovan had sublet the property from a private company which held the lease, but the firm informed the council of an intent to break the lease in August.

Melton Borough Council then approved plans to sell the building at a cabinet meeting on 11 December.

Ms Donovan said she approached the council about taking on the lease, but claims communication dwindled and she was "blindsided" by a report recommending the authority sell the Grade II listed building.

A council spokesperson said the authority needed to be "satisfied" that a potential leaseholder could "maintain and repair" a building with such "historic value".

Customers reacted with sadness to the closure.

Suzie Broughton described Charlie's Bar as one-of-a-kind, adding: "It's probably the most dog-friendly bar in town. You come in, and the dogs are probably more welcome than people. It's a lovely and safe place for everybody."

Another regular, 47-year-old Hazel Paterson, said the night-time economy in Melton had been suffering.

"This bar became the one safe place that I felt able to go to, and it's a safe place for all members of the community, there's a huge LGBT community that comes here."

James Matthews, who lives in Melton, said he was "gutted" Charlie's Bar would be closing.

"It's upsetting that the council can't find a way to support a local business," he added.

A report to the council's cabinet said the building would cost the taxpayer £7,000 each year to maintain.

The building will be placed on the open market, the council decided, but it has not ruled out putting the site up for auction.

Sarah Cox, cabinet member for corporate finance, property and resources, said: "We understand the difficulties [Charlie's] facing, and it's the difficulty of her being the licensee, not the leaseholder.

"But the council is making this decision to protect the taxpayer from carrying the cost of a building that it wouldn't see the return on."

Cox also added that the council would not accept further lease offers, and parties had already expressed interest in buying the building.

However, Ms Donovan is not one of them, with her not having enough money on-hand to purchase the whole property.

She has pledged to try to find another location, because running a bar and pouring beer are "her calling".

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