Since a planning application to turn the Old Horn Inn in Spennithorne into two dwelling was submitted, residents of Harmby and Spennithorne have formed the Old Horn Community Group in order to try and buy the pub.
Following a public meeting the group reached it’s first milestone by getting past the financial threshold the group set in order to continue with the process. That established that there was both sufficient funding and public interest to make buying the pub worth pursuing.
Alongside that the group applied to Richmondshire District Council for the pub to be registered as an Asset of Community Value. Whilst the initial planning application has now been withdrawn, the group continued with the application process because, if approved, this would give the community six months to in order to buy the pub.
Yesterday Richmondshire District Council wrote to members of the group to inform them the application had been successful. This means the pub can’t be sold without the group’s knowledge and requires the owners to inform the group should they receive any other plausible offers. A valuation should be completed shortly and then commercial negotiations will begin in earnest.
Tom said ‘I was happy to write a letter of support for this application and as I wrote in that letter, ‘to allow the pub to pass into private hands without at least giving the opportunity to a community so clearly motivated, so well organised and so keen to take on the rights and responsibilities of looking after their pub would be a grave error.’
‘Supporting things like this is the reason I got into local politics; to help people stand up for themselves and take a real civic pride in where they live and what their community looks like. I know how hard the team behind the OHCG have worked and they deserve a huge vote of thanks for their exemplary and extraordinary commitment to their community.’
The next public meeting for Wednesday 9th November at 18.30pm. Updates can be found on the Old Horn Community Facebook page and the group’s website will be going live very soon with relevant information, business plan and share offers.