THE fight to save York's Frog Hall pub is over. Landlord Wayne Allan has thrown in the bar towel. With his wife Deanna, he is moving to another pub just outside the bar walls, The Melbourne.

No one can blame them. They took over at the Frog Hall in August 2000, only to be told in January that its future was in doubt. Despite that threat, they threw themselves into the task of revitalising the place. Their enthusiasm and hard work made it a true community pub again.

In fact, the Frog Hall served two communities: the locals and the York music scene. Bands queued up to play here; the Frog was always jumping.

Now it is to fall silent. The pub will be pulled down to make way for a development including a video store and a burger bar. How sad.

The regeneration of Layerthorpe is very necessary. Much of this area is run-down, the land contaminated by the gasworks.

It is a great pity, then, that the plans draw no distinction between the derelict buildings and a thriving, lively business like the Frog Hall. Both are to be destroyed.

Other cities recognise that a pub is more than just another business. They play a vital social role as well. So, in Liverpool and London, you will find traditional pubs preserved intact alongside gleaming new office and retail developments.

And that is what the Frog Hall is: a traditional pub. The advent of the chrome-and-sofa bar should not signal an end to the homely comforts of snug and lounge. Neither should York consider its famous city centre bars to be the only ones worth fighting for: the suburban pub is at greater risk of extinction.

The Frog Hall regulars waged a valiant campaign to save it. Some will make the journey to The Melbourne when Wayne and Deanna take over: another reminder that a good pub has its own community, who deserve to be treated with respect.

Updated: 10:30 Tuesday, December 04, 2001