A planning application seeking approval to transform Nenthead’s only public house into a private home has been withdrawn as efforts are made to see if it can become a community-run pub.
Nenthead resident Laura Seaton said a public meeting held last month, which was attended by over 50 people, had generated a “really positive” response.
In attendance was Alison Baker, the pub’s present owner, who has now withdrawn the planning application which sought to change the use of the Miners Arms to a dwelling.
The meeting was held to see if it would be possible to get the ball rolling and if the community was interested in getting behind a community buy-out of the pub.
“It’s the only pub in the village and it is a really big miss,” said Laura, who added that the pub closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and has never reopened.
A seven-strong working group has been set up, of which Laura is the secretary, to look into how a community buy-out can be facilitated.
In addition, a survey has been launched, both online and with paper copies being circulated, to gauge what the community would like to see being delivered by the Nenthead pub.
“Effectively, we are looking into a community ownership fund via the Government which is through the Levelling Up strategy and in order to be successful you need match fund for that, so you have got to find 20 per cent of whatever the value is of the pub.
“Currently, it is at £395,000, but I know there are going to be some revised pricings on that, but we don’t know what that is yet,” said Laura.
Of the online survey, she said the overwhelming response was very positive and people want to keep the pub. There have been about 112 responses online so far and one of the main questions is ‘do you think the village needs a pub’ and bar two, every other response is yes,” said Laura. She said: “I really hope we can facilitate it. It is going to take work and fundamentally for people to dig deep into their pockets, which I know is difficult during these financial times we are going through, but we will need to find that 20 per cent.”
On Monday, Laura intends to give an update about the situation to Alston Moor Parish Council and hopes to get their support for the community buy-out plan.
“Nenthead is lost without the pub, so many people say that. We are, we really miss having it. It was a central hub and it certainly was when we had bad storms and weather.
“There has been many a time during storms where you can’t go anywhere so everyone just goes and congregates in the pub,” said Laura.
She added: “There are all sorts of different things you can do as a community pub. It’s all about what the community wants.
“You could have food, warm hubs, social events, gatherings, all sorts of stuff. On the survey people have put on having things like visiting banks and libraries.
“I think if we can pull it off it would be absolutely amazing and there is no reason why we can’t. There are lots of examples around Cumbria of these community pubs which we are going to go and visit and chat to over the next four weeks.”
The next round of government funding opens at the end of November, so it will be months, rather than weeks, before the pub can potentially be reopened. In the meantime, the survey needs to be returned or completed by 10th September.
