A Wiltshire village is fighting to save its pub after the venue was earmarked for housing.
The future of The George and Dragon at Erlestoke, near Devizes, is currently hanging in the balance after plans were submitted to convert it into five homes.
At the time of writing, Wiltshire Council was yet to determine this application, which was submitted after a failed attempt to turn the venue’s fortunes around.
The pub was bought by Chaffinch Pub Company in 2020 but could now be lost forever.
In a late attempt to rescue the pub, Erlestoke Parish Council has applied to relist it as an asset of community value and urged the council to reject any housing plans.
The parish council believes the pub, which dates back hundreds of years, still has a future at the heart of the community and would be a huge loss for the village.
A spokesperson said: “The George and Dragon is not just a building, it is a historic and cultural cornerstone of Erlestoke.
“It still has the potential to serve the village as a vibrant public house and community space.
“We therefore respectfully request that Wiltshire Council relist the George and Dragon as an asset of community value for a further five years and reject any application to convert it into a private residence.”
The community is no longer looking to buy the pub itself after a previous failed attempt before the current owner took control.
Instead, it hopes another operator can be found to take on the pub and restore it as a social hub.
Following objections to the current plans from the parish council and other villagers, Paul Gardner, of the Chaffinch Pub Company, has defended the scheme via the application’s public consultation.
Suggested reading
He said: “We have owned the pub since 2020 and have had no approaches by the local Erlestoke community to purchase the George & Dragon.
“We offered it to the Erlestoke Hub and were told that, due to the condition of the building, they had no interest.
“If the local community would like to purchase the pub, then it definitely is available, however not at a heavily discounted price.
“What I find hard to believe is that the local community who had suffered a closed pub for about five years prior to our opening in 2022 failed to support the pub.
“If you don’t use an asset then surely you are going to lose it.”
Share