Diners and riders revamp for pub (From Echo)

Diners and riders revamp for pub

12:30pm Friday 9th September 2011 in Rayleigh / Rochford By Chay Appleyard

AN entrepreneur will spend £1.5million converting an empty pub into a plush restaurant and horse riding centre.

Millionaire David Bishop, 60, bought the Wheatsheaf pub, in Main Road, Rettendon, for £400,000 and has spent £100,000 on refurbishments.

He plans to convert it into an upmarket English restaurant, after asking villagers what they wanted.

The businessman also plans to build a new horse riding centre behind the pub, which he said would not make a profit and there would only be a small charge for riders to use.

He said: “We want to create a community together as we can create a lovely village.

“We had a meeting in the village and there was a wish list of shops, bungalows for the elderly and restaurants.

“I am in a very fortunate position to be able to do such a thing.

“I’m not a saint, but if I’m going to live in a community, I need to give something back to make it a better place.

“We still have a really good pub in Rettendon, called the Bell, and I didn’t want to take business from that, so decided to go for a restaurant instead.

“The idea with the equestrian centre is to create safe riding facilities, so horse riders do not have to venture out on to the dangerous roads.

Mr Bishop, of Rettendon Common, does not yet have planning permission for the equestrian centre.

However, he plans to install two 30m by 60m arenas, one indoors and one outdoors.

Facilities will include fences for horses to jump over, which will allow the centre to host showjumping events for spectators to watch for free.