A group of Cumbrian villagers face a gloomy Christmas after discovering that they will not be receiving funding to help re-open their local pub.
The Miners Arms Community Pub Ltd management board in happier, more hopeful times
The Miners Arms, in Nenthead, has been at the heart of the village for generations, first opening its doors nearly 200 years ago. It closed in 2020 and has not reopened. It is now for sale.
Residents came together and formed a community benefit society, known as the Miners Arms Community Pub Ltd (MACPL), to purchase, refurbish, re-open and operate a community-owned pub. More than 240 people have bought shares in MACPL.
The previous Conservative administration introduced the Community Ownership Fund (COF) under the oversight of the Department for Levelling up, Housing, and Communities. This fund was created to allow community groups to bid for funding to help purchase and operate community assets.
MACPL submitted its bid into COF’s fourth round of applications in April, with the hope that a decision on the funding would be made by the end of June. Unfortunately, the early general election brought government functions to a halt and the community were left hanging until Parliament could re-convene after July.
Now they have finally received an announcement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government to say the outcome of their grant application to the COF was unsuccessful.
Simon Walker, chair of the MACPL, said: “We are saddened that our bid was unsuccessful. All our planning hinged on this grant. The project had no viable alternative plan, and we regret that the dream of returning the Miners Arms to its former glory is now in ashes.”
The board will now start the process of winding up the community benefit society and returning investments to shareholders.
Simon added: “The board would like to thank everyone for their support over the last 16 months as we tried to bring the Miners Arms back to the heart of the village.”
