Another Pub Saved

The Packhorse Inn in South Stoke Reopens.

Here’s a feel-good story from the UK press. The Packhorse Inn in Somerset has been bought by the locals from a developer and reopened as a pub. 470 local residents bought shares at £50 each raising over £1,000,000 to buy the pub back.

…A 15th-century pub near Bath that was saved from being turned into flats after residents raised more than £1m has served its first pint after reopening.

Almost 500 residents chipped in to buy the Packhorse Inn in South Stoke, Somerset, from property developers who had bought it six years ago…

…The pub’s rescue was partly made possible by the 2011 Localism Act, which allows communities to apply to their local council to have a building listed as an “asset of community value”. …

The law allows a council to deem a building to be an a “asset of community value” if it is or was used to further the wellbeing or social interest of the local community…

Please read the full article on The Guardian website by clicking this link.

This process is exactly what we are doing in Marston and a share offer will open soon to raise the money to enable The Thorold Arms to be bought back from Mr Barmby, who has twice applied to turn the pub into a house and is now appealing SKDC’s planning refusals to the Government Planning Inspectorate.

Please don’t forget that any additional evidence to thwart this appeal must be submitted to The Planning Inspectorate by the 3rd of April 2018.

This link https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ViewCase.aspx?Caseid=3194123&CoID=0 will enable you to make your representation. Please note that you have to “Save and Continue” the first blank page before reaching the form.

All representations made to SKDC in relation to the previous planning applications will be made available to the Inspectorate but if you have anything new to put forward, every little helps!