The owner of a pub in Barton Hill has ‘given up’ on securing her property after continuous damage and break-ins over the last four years. The London-based property owner and director of Natan Ltd, Mona Mogharebi has been awaiting several years for planning permission to build flats in the garden of the Rhubarb Tavern in Barton Hill.
The pub closed in 2020 and the local community has been campaigning for it to reopen as a family-friendly pub since 2021. Currently the door is wide open and some of the windows have been smashed.
Ms Mogharebi was recently contacted by Bristol City Council to secure the property or the council would secure the building and send her the invoice. According to Ms Mogharebi the council had the property secured and sent her the invoice but it was broken into on the same day.
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Ms Mogharebi told Bristol Live : “Over the last four years, I made significant efforts to keep the property secure. In 2021, subsequent to getting the 27 squatters out , I replaced all broken external doors and windows with new, solid ones.
“I paid for regular checks by two security companies for several months. I boarded up broken windows multiple times, secured the damaged back gate twice, installed cameras with signage on the external walls, installed new locks on the two front doors numerous times; the most recent lock replacement was in November last year.
“I used to drive up with my contractor and or my son to secure the property each time I heard from the police or the neighbours about a new break-in, to secure the property at great cost. However, since last November, I have decided to cease further securing efforts since the same individuals responsible for the repeated vandalism have been relentless in their vandalism.
“While my property has been going to rack and ruin, the council has continued to charge me empty property business rates and council tax. My two applications over the past four years have received no decision as yet.
“I neither have the will nor the financial means to continue securing this property. Furthermore it seems pointless as the criminals would continue their destruction relentlessly.”