Community fails in bid to buy Leeds pub despite raising £130,000

04-Jun-2017 - Last updated on 05-Jun-2017 at 10:33 GMT

Local bid: the community offer of £130,000 was rejected

A community group has failed in its bid to purchase iconic West Yorkshire pub the Cardigan Arms as the owner agrees a sale with another party.

The community group had managed to raise £130,000 to buy the Grade II-listed pub but site owner Greene King confirmed it had rejected the offer and instead had agreed a deal with Kirkstall Brewery.

A spokesman for the pub operator said: “We’ve now agreed a sale to Kirkstall Brewery, a well-respected local business with a track record of sympathetically restoring and operating a nearby pub. The company is a good fit, being a craft brewer already based in the area.”

Kirkstall Brewery currently operates the nearby Kirkstall Bridge Inn.

“This decision ensures the future of the pub is safeguarded and we wish Kirkstall Brewery all the best for the future running of the pub,” the spokesman continued.

Kirkstall Brewery’s plans

The brewer’s managing director Steve Holt said that the company planned to “preserve this much-loved Grade II-listed building for the local community”.

He added: “I look forward to bringing the same sense of pride in restoring and operating the Cardigan as we have to our current pub, the Kirkstall Bridge.”

Heritage venue

The community bid to buy the pub was backed by Leeds-based community pub operator Mood Pubs, which planned to match any funds raised by the community.

The community group was approached for comment but had not responded before this article was published.
The pub was recently listed among 260 sites in the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)’s Britain’s Best Real Heritage Pubs.