A York woman has expressed her dismay after the pub she and her partner ran for eight months has been forced to close after he was refused a licence.
It means that the Cross Keys, the only pub in Dunnington, shut last week, to the shock of many locals.
William Moore and his partner Leanne Anderson had taken over at the Cross Keys in Dunnington eight months ago. They had transformed it inside and out and, in the words of one regular, made the pub “a massive success”.
William worked alongside his brother Jacob, who was the designated premises supervisor (DPS). When Jacob wished to step down in October, William – who had previously held DPS positions at other York venues – applied to take over the role.
William had previously been the DPS at other pubs in the city, so didn’t anticipate any problems.
However, before any application was submitted to the licensing authority, City of York Council, the couple say they were unexpectedly called into a meeting with Greene King and given four weeks’ notice to leave.
“I actually couldn’t believe it. I don’t think we said anything for the first few minutes,” she told YorkMix.
“We were stunned. Greene King told us verbally that the police licensing department wouldn’t approve William or anyone connected to us as DPS. But we were given no written explanation, no evidence, and nothing from the police or council directly.”
Leanne suspects it’s because William had been given a suspended prison sentence 13 years earlier after being convicted of an offence.
“It’s a spent conviction. So the issue that I have is, why wouldn’t you give him the licence for something that’s happened 13 years ago?
“Are you telling me that everybody that holds a licence in York is squeaky clean? Because I don’t believe that’s true.
“They just point blank say ‘we’re not going to explain why’.”
She was told that licensing had received 11 noise complaints from villagers but says she’s never seen these complaints, adding that City of York Council “has confirmed in writing that no formal notices, warnings, enforcement actions or licensing breaches were ever issued to us”.
Leanne and William are Dunnington residents, and took on the Cross Keys at the start of the year “because the village needed the village pub”.
At that point the pub was forlorn and neglected, she said. “It needed replastering, repainting, rewiring, recarpeting.”
They did all that at their own expense and when they reopened it was quickly a success, she said, catering “for young and old”. “The Cross Keys became lively, busy, and genuinely loved again.”
And now the pub has closed, “the village’s in uproar about it. The staff are devastated. It’s just before Christmas, there are single parents here with little children who rely on this wage.
“There’s people who’ve been in this pub for 10 years. We’ve turned the place around.”
A petition calling on William and Leanne to stay at the pub received more than 500 signatures.
It stated: “William and Leanne have tirelessly maintained the charm and warmth of the Cross Keys Pub, transforming it into more than just a place to have a drink.
“It’s a community hub where families gather for events, where local bands perform live music, and where charity events are hosted to support local causes.”
Leanne said: “We are deeply grateful for the overwhelming support from the people of Dunnington. The pub thrived because the community embraced what we built.”
The couple hosted a final night party last Wednesday before they had to leave. But Leanne hopes to be back.
They’ve put in Freedom Of Information requests for the documents surrounding the decision.
“We gave everything to this pub. We created a warm, lively, family-friendly venue that the village was proud of,” Leanne said.
“We now simply seek transparency, fairness, and accountability – not only for ourselves, but to ensure no other hardworking couple ever endures this.”
Ultimately, Leanne would like to buy the Cross Keys. She told YorkMix: “We’re going to fight to get the pub back.”
Greene King declined to comment on the points raised by Leanne, but a spokesperson said: “We are looking for a new operator to run the Cross Keys in partnership with us.
“We are speaking with people interested in running the pub and actively encourage anyone who would like to run this village pub to apply via our website.”
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “As a responsible authority, North Yorkshire Police, alongside City of York Council, have been working in partnership with the premise licence holders Greene King, to ensure Cross Keys Dunnington operates in accordance with the premise licence conditions and the promotion of the four licensing objectives: prevention of crime and disorder; prevention of public nuisance; public safety; protection of children from harm.
“Greene King as premises licence holders have not submitted any application to change the designated premises supervisor at this time, and it would be for them to decide who they wished to appoint for this position.”
City of York Council said it was a matter for the police.
