‘We bought our village pub after it had been closed 10 years – now we can’t imagine life without it’
The Rising Sun pub in the village of Woodcroft in Gloucestershire was closed for 10 years after it was bought by developers, becoming increasingly dilapidated as no repairs were done while the new owner tried to get planning permission to turn it into housing.
Sound familiar?
As with The White Horse, villagers were far from happy at being deprived of a local facility and were increasingly frustrated at seeing the building sit there empty and deteriorating.
They set up a campaign group, chaired by GP Michelle Hayes who lives 150 metres from the pub, and offered to buy the pub from the developer. Their offer was rejected.
In the following years the owner put in three planning applications to turn the pub into housing, ALL of which received robust objections from residents. And each was rejected by the local council, mirroring the situation with The White Horse with three planning applications for residential also refused.
“It was only after we’d won the third planning battle that we managed to negotiate with the owners,” says Michelle, adding that despite all the frustrations, they made sure they never fell out with the owners: “We just made the point that they had a building they couldn’t do anything with.”
Sale was finally agreed in May 2021, after the pub had been closed for 10 years. “It’s surprising how generous people can be when it comes down to it,” says Michelle. “We put together a share offer and posted it through people’s doors with a letter explaining our plans.”
The campaign group successfully applied for a government Community Ownership Fund grant of £175,000, a major boost as repairs and complete refurbishment of the building was needed.
“Some of the ceilings had to come down and plumbing and electrics had to be completely redone,” says Michelle. “We managed it with a mix of professional tradespeople and volunteers – we had 120!”
The volunteers donned hard hats for the gutting and then did the sanding down and painting. The group bought second-hand kitchen equipment and a local furniture maker made tables from scaffolding planks.
The pub finally reopened in October 2022. On the first day 400 people came through the doors. “I think it’s really brought the community together again,” says Michelle. “We’ve tried to make it a welcoming space for everyone, which seems to have worked because people of all ages come in, from young families with baby carriers to older people.”
Residents feel a strong connection to the pub not only because they’ve bought shares in it, but because every time they walk in they’re reminded of their own part in the renovations. “I hear them say ‘I painted that bit’ when they bring visiting friends and family,” says Michelle. “We’re so proud that everyone seems to love it. People say they can’t imagine the village without it now.”
Seeing The Rising Sun shine again shows what is possible and it stiffens our resolve to get The White Horse up and running again.
Have you registered to receive all our updates and news? Registering is quick, easy – and we need you! Click Support the Save Our White Horse campaign.