Fight goes on to save village pub
Hamstead Marshall residents rally round in a bid to stop White Hart from being sold
HAMSTEAD Marshall residents are continuing their fight to save their village pub from being sold to developers.
Campaigners are exploring the possibility of either taking over the White Hart Inn and running it as a community enterprise or working with the owner, Stella Coulthurst, to try and find a buyer or someone to take over the lease.
The 16th-century inn has been closed since September 11, 2015, when Ms Coulthurst said she wanted to “explore different options”.
Two months later, a planning application was submitted to turn the pub into four houses with the agent claiming that it was no longer viable – a statement questioned by many locals.
Residents set up a ‘Save the White Hart’ action group in an attempt to save the pub when the plans were announced, while a petition urging West Berkshire Council to reject the proposals has been signed by 99 people.
At its latest meeting, which was attended by Newbury MP Richard Benyon, the campaign team agreed to submit an application to West Berkshire Council to have the pub listed as an Asset of Community Value.
It has also submitted its own viability report to the district council.
Plans to close the pub have ben met with widespread objection in the village.
In a letter to West Berkshire Council, Hamstead Marshall resident John Harris said: “It has been an inn for hundreds of years and is an important – and the only real – feature in the centre of this village.
“The White Hart is a well recognised landmark. Its change of use would be a loss to the community.
“It has been a popular meeting place for local groups. It is also a source of employment.”
In the 19th and early 20th centuries the pub was used as a coroner’s court, timber salesroom, auction house and meeting place for the village.
It was also the first premises in Hamstead Marshall to be connected to mains electricity in the 1950s.
The action group is hoping the council will refuse the application, which it says will give them time to find someone that may be willing to take on the premises.
Agent Christie and Co is marketing the pub on a lease at £55,000 per year with a £100,000 premium, but despite several viewings it says it hasn’t received any formal offers.
