Home / Business and Economy / Shuttered Pub Deemed a Community Asset, Owners Lose Bid to Convert
Shuttered Pub Deemed a Community Asset, Owners Lose Bid to Convert
16 Nov
Summary
- Pub closed in 2013, bought by new owner who wanted to turn it into a restaurant
- Council rejected owner's plan to convert it to a home, listed it as a community asset
- Owner appealed but failed, pub will remain listed as a community asset until 2029
In a significant win for the local community, a council's decision to designate a closed pub in Crays Pond, Oxfordshire as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) has been upheld by judges. The White Lion pub, which has been shut since August 2013, was purchased two months later by Satwinder Sandhu, who intended to turn it into an Indian restaurant. However, when Sandhu applied to use the property as a home instead, the South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) rejected the plan and secured an order preventing its sole residential use.
The council then listed the White Lion as an ACV, a designation that recognizes the building or land as being of value to the local community. This ACV status, which lasts for five years and can be renewed, means the property cannot be easily converted or sold without the community being given a chance to bid on it.
Sandhu appealed the council's most recent ACV listing, arguing the pub was unviable and there was no realistic prospect of it being used by the community within the next five years. However, the First-tier Tribunal has now dismissed Sandhu's appeal, meaning the White Lion will remain listed as an ACV until 2029.
The Crays Pond Community Group has expressed interest in bidding for the pub, despite Sandhu's previous statement that he would not sell it to them. The group says it "must consider our next steps and will seek [residents'] support in the coming months" as it looks to secure the future of the beloved local landmark.
