Old Horn group reaches milestone

Bringing pints into public hands

A group set up to allow the local community to buy their local pub has reached it’s first milestone.

The Old Horn Community Group was set up after a planning application to convert the Old Horn in Spennithorne to dwellings was submitted. The group immediately set about trying to raise funds, registering the pub as an Asset of Community Value and holding a community meeting. A minimum threshold was set for the group to reach in order to continue with the process, and yesterday that threshold was reached.

The planning application has now been withdrawn, and the next steps are to update the landlords on the process and continue the process of registering the pub as an ACV. This will give the community six months to buy the pub.

After this, a valuations report will be conducted and a dilapidations report will give outline costs for renovations; this can then inform a business plan and an offer to the landlords.

Tom said; ‘This has been a brilliant example of constructive community work from everyone involved. It’s great to see people taking the lead and a real civic pride in where they live and what their community looks like. I’ve been pleased to support this project so far and I hope I can continue doing so until the pub is bought.’

The total amount raised cannot be disclosed for commercial reasons, and any further pledges will go towards improvements to the pub and other costs. The group is also fundraising fees for the valuation and required surveys, which are expected to be around £2500+vat, and you can contribute to that here. If you’d like more information about this project, please email the OHCG at; oldhorn.community@gmail.com