A community group has been set up to fight plans by Punch Pubs to demolish the White Horse in Felixstowe and replace it with a convenience store and flats.

The Save the White Horse pub Felixstowe group has a public Facebook page and already has nearly 90 members.

It describes itself as: "A group dedicated to preserving and conserving the White Horse public house, in Church Road, Old Felixstowe. The pub is under threat of demolition by its present owners, Punch Pubs."

Organisers hope the message will spread even further and more people will show their support to save the pub.

Residents have expressed their fury at the plans which have been lodged with East Suffolk Council and will be decided by its planning committee in due course.

Nearly 200 objections have been lodged on the council's planning website mainly from neighbours of the Church Road pub.

Felixstowe's town council planning committee, which is a statutory consultee but does not make the final decision, has expressed opposition to the application following a meeting earlier this week.

Punch Pub managing director told Nub news why the company had decided the White Horse was no longer viable as a going concern and he defended its decision (full story here)

Members of the group have discussed trying to make the White Horse an Asset of Community Value, which would give residents an opportunity to buy the pub should it come up for sale. As it stands Punch Pubs have not put it on the market but are looking to redevelop its own building.