Grindleton villagers continue fight to save pub

Talks are continuing as the close-knit community of Grindleton battles to raise £270k for the village's only pub.
The Duke of York, GrindletonThe Duke of York, Grindleton
The Duke of York, Grindleton

As reported previously in the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times, The Duke of York closed last year and it meant the village of Grindleton had no pubs and no regular meeting places apart from the village hall.

An application was submitted to turn it into a house, business premises and holiday cottages, but Ribble Valley Borough Council officials turned down the plans and the Grade II listed building has been put back on the market.

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Last month, Grindleton Community Pub Ltd was launched and a £270,000 fundraising campaign in a bid to turn it into a community pub and cafe. They have until November to raise this much-needed cash.

Around 100 people recently packed into Grindleton Pavilion to attend the launch of the share offer. Copies of the business plan were made available to the audience following presentations from two members of the steering group, John Halley and Judy Entwistle.

Dave Hollings, a consultant for the Plunkett Foundation who help communities take over and run local assets, described the successful track record of other villages who have taken over their local pub. After a lively question-and-answer session, members of the audience who were mainly from Grindleton with some from other parts of the Ribble Valley, were able to take away a share prospectus to allow them to invest in the pub. This is also available as a download from the Grindleton Pub website by clicking onto www.grindletonpub.co.ukSpeaking after the meeting, John Halley, the chair of the steering group, said: "The easy part is done. We have until November 16th to raise the £270,000 that is still needed to save the pub.”

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