Villagers fighting to buy their pub have made a direct plea to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner to back one of the Mirror’s demands to prevent further mass closures. Residents in picturesque Dent, in Cumbria, were part way through applying to a government scheme for £250,000 to help take over the historic Sun Inn when the general election was called last year. The Community Ownership Fund was put on pause during electioneering, but was never restarted and the scheme was pulled just before Christmas. The decision is a blow to those behind Save Our Sun, as they already had pledges of £220,000 from supporters at home and as far afield as Australia, towards the overall total of around £500,000.
Bryan Garwood, secretary of organisers the Dent Community Pub Ltd, urged the government to bring in a new grant scheme for those battling to keep their cherished local. It echoes the Mirror’s Your Pub Needs You campaign, which includes a call for more support for community groups wanting to buy their local. Mr Garwood, 64, has this plea for Ms Rayner, who also heads up the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government which was responsible the previous scheme. He said: “My message would be that remote villages are under extraordinary pressure. Losing this pub could be just one more death knell to the local community, to local spirit and cohesion, and bringing people together.”.
A fighting fund for pubs. Recognition for pubs that go above and beyond in their community. More support for community groups wanting to buy their local. The Sun Inn is still open and had been put up for sale by its owner. However, locals fear what will happen to it long-term if they do not step in. It is currently wet-led, but the plan is to introduce food, in a move that would boost the local community through sourcing produce, as well as employing more staff.
Their experience is similar to other communities when trying to save their local. Enterprising locals who band together to try to take over a drinking hole threatened with closure, or which is already empty, can find themselves fighting red tape and a lack of support - let alone the often huge cost of mounting a rescue bid. In a sign of hope, a community in Somerset pulled together to raise a colossal £471,000 to buy their local. The Royal Oak in Stoke St Gregory was the last pub in the village, and stood empty for nearly a year until locals fundraised and secured grants to save it. People as far away as Australia and the US heard about the drive and bought shares. It has now been reopened four years and, also housing the village shop, it has become once more the beating heart of the village.
Local volunteer Tim Slattery said the village, which just under 1,000 residents, was shattered when the pub closed. “It was disheartening - the heart was taken out of the village - it was pretty dire,” he said. “People started to feel isolated. It could have killed the village but people kept positive about it.”. Download Your Pub Needs You poster to help save Britain's boozersYou can download the Your Pub Needs You poster to help save Britain's boozers below here.
The villagers decided to act fast, so set up the Heart of the Village Project to buy the Royal Oak premises, plus the stock and goodwill of the village stores, which had also closed. They managed to raise £200,000 from the community which, with grants and loans, helped them reach their goal. Neighbours and volunteers offered practical support, including plastering, painting and gardening, to refurbish and repurpose the pub for community use.
Mr Slattery, 74, a former local government worker, said the combined effort brought the community towards even more. "Very much so,” he says. “That was one of the big dividends.” The pub hosts an array of community events, with Mr Slattery adding: “We have a group of elderly people who meet every Thursday morning, and they are so happy. We are more than just a pub. I wish the Treasury would think about the benefit pubs such as our provide when they think about putting up the price of a pint”.
The government is introducing a new ‘Community Right to Buy’ for local groups looking to take ownership of a pub in their neighbourhood. But the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) says it must come alongside a dedicated programme of advice, guidance and funding to make sure community pubs go from strength to strength. Paul Ainsworth, chair of Camra’s planning advisory group said: “Having thriving pubs at the heart of community life can be a key part of the Government’s mission to have vibrant communities and thriving local economies. There are now over 200 community-owned pubs in the country, and this has proved to be a remarkably successful model, with previously struggling pubs now popular and successful enterprises - pubs for the people by the people.”.
