8:43am Monday 22nd March 2010
By Carl Brown
LEYTONSTONE councillors are to meet the owners of a troubled night spot to discuss how it can be turned into a "local community pub."
Lincolns, in Leytonstone High Road, was closed last year following repeated complaints about noise and anti-social behaviour.
The pub, which had become plagued by violent criminals and drug dealers, kept its license but has to abide by strict conditions, including installing CCTV cameras, banning drinking outside on the forecourt and meeting residents, council and police every three months.
Owner Trust Inns Ltd has promised to rebrand the venue as a traditional English pub and the three Leytonstone ward councillors, Clyde Loakes, Jenny Gray and Marie Pye, are to meet with the company to discuss ideas for the pub's future.
Cllr Loakes said: "We believe we can bring to the table a number of different interests to help thrash out a way forward for this troubled pub, that ensures its future as a mainstay of the local Leytonstone community.
" We want the pub to be a ‘local’ again and we believe it could play a crucial role in the development of Leytonstones fantastic arts and culture scene, which came to the fore through use of the former Woolworths shop.”
“However we need to see how responsive Trust Inns are to working with us, local resident and community groups and other organisations, before starting to develop our plans further."
Trust Inns has agreed to stop selling African beer in order to appeal to a wider section of the community - a decision branded racist by former manager Marshall Maphosa.
The Ferndale Area Residents Association complained for a number of years about excessive noise and disruption caused by users of the pub.
An undercover police officer was offered drugs in the pub and former manager, Jerry Nyoni, admitted he was scared of confronting violent criminals who drank there.
A 35-year-old man was stabbed several times in the back, neck and chest and his heart was damaged after he was attacked when leaving Lincolns in 2005.
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