Community shows support for its local

The first steps to make the Sun Inn, at Hulverstone, an Asset of Community Value were passed at a Brighstone Parish Council meeting on Wednesday.

The motion was carried at the meeting, and it is hoped that this will help secure the future of the pub and make it more difficult for it to be converted into a private house.

Cllr Nick Stuart said: “The motion was put forward, discussed and agreed.

There were some questions about how an Asset of Community Value works and how it can be done. But there is a groundswell of support in the local area for this to go through. It means there would be a five-year leeway on the property to prevent it being turned into a private house. At the end of that period, if the owner then applied for the relevant planning, the community would have a six-month window to raise the funds and secure the premises.

“Having the pub listed as a community asset would also be taken into consideration by any future planning applications. It sends a strong community message: the parishioners want it retained as a pub.”

The leasehold of the building – not the freehold – is currently on the market with Gully Howard. Offers are invited for the remainer of the 25-year lease in the region of £19,995, down from £29,995, as well as goodwill, fixtures, fittings plus stock at valuation, and an annual rent of £85,000.

The Sun Inn is the closest pub to Compton Bay, near the Military Road. It closed for the winter at the end of September.

John Nicholson, chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), attended the meeting and said: “There was a wall of support from the parish to apply for the AVC. To have CAMRA behind the parish council will put some extra weight behind the application and I will be sending in a letter of support.

“Real ale is about our heritage and culture and The Sun represents all of that, it offers something unique for people to come along and enjoy its atmosphere.”

Rob Benwell, Director of Character Inns, which owns the lease, said: “We are looking to dispose of The Sun, but we wholeheartedly want it to continue as a pub. We still have a 20-year lease, but the rent is extremely high and we have been negotiating with the brewery for the last two years.

“There isn’t the turnover for it to be a managed house, but it could work as a ‘Ma and Pa’ pub with a husband and wife working together and living on the premises.

“We are still exploring ways of opening it up again, and will see what happens in the next few months. But I want to reiterate, it’s nonsense for people to think we want it closed and are turning into a private dwelling.”