Community pub buy out plan fails

A community's attempt to take on the local pub and restore basic village services fell at the last hurdle despite raising more than £200,000.

The privately-owned Lamplugh Tip in Lamplugh, Cumbria, hasn't been open for more than a few months at a time for three years when the current owner was given the pub as a 21st birthday present.

In August, resident Peter Maher decided to gauge local opinion and emailed around 100 people proposing that the villagers raise the funds to buy the pub and run it as a community venture. The intention was widely publicised in the area through papers and TV.

By last week, £206,000 had been raised in share options — enough to buy the freehold. Maher estimated a further £60,000 would be needed to make the necessary repairs and purchases for opening.

However, last Monday (4 October) Maher heard that the property was under offer to an individual local buyer.

"It is a shame," he said. "I'm disappointed as I had personally put a lot of work into it, with a two-year business plan to make sure it wouldn't make a loss. It wasn't just going to be a pub. It was about replacing services that have dwindled away."

Lamplugh, which has just over 400 dwellings, has lost most village amenities including public telephones, a shop and a post office.

Maher wanted to bring these into the Lamplugh Tip over time, and add a library service.

Bob Smeaton of chartered surveyors Smeatons Estate Agents, who handled the sale, said: "It was simply a business decision. The owner believes that the other buyer will get the money together straight away. I think Peter would have made it, but there was some uncertainty over when."