Without doubt the licensed trade business has seen many challenges since lock down but the CCPG believe that a local, quality operated pub that delivers a financial return to a tenant and the community is achievable. The pub would probably open 4.5 days a week – Wednesday to Sunday lunchtime but supported by volunteers to offer coffee mornings and a small shop operation to the many single and retired residents of the village, without having to get in a car to travel or wait for extremely limited public transport. The local GP surgery has also committed to provide a prescription dispenser to be located at the Kings Head.

The pub would not be tied to one of the large breweries or tenant lease companies and would therefore operate food and drink of its choosing with a greater control of cost and variety. Similar to many pubs these days, a takeaway food option would be in place as well as traditional Sunday lunch. We would not aim to be a gastro pub but offer good quality, local food similar to the Prince Leopold or the recently re-opened Boot. Local ales would be provided, similarly any local English wines and sparkling wines as well as a range of quality world wines. Local English gins would be stocked. We would seek art from local artists to decorate the pub and for sale.

The dart board would be retained as the village has a number of enthusiasts, but no pool table or Sky TV, A number of board games, books and magazines would be available, and we would aim to re-introduce the monthly quiz nights and potentially music on certain days. A good quality internet connection will be installed to support those that are not working from the office, and an additional village defibrillator could be provided.

In the longer term, the garden area could be developed by use of temporary fixtures or more permanent structure and we would provide bike racks in the car park for cyclists, and potentially an electric car charging point.. The front façade of the pub would be redecorated and planting would be used at the front to enhance the appearance of the pub. We would seek to work with many local user groups such as the Women’s Institute, book clubs, cyclists, ramblers, motorcycle clubs, Stonehenge, the MOD and so on. The many passers through the village would be alerted to the pub by signage both west and east giving appropriate time to encourage them to stop. Local tourist organisations and tour companies would be contacted for potential small group visits. A strong social media presence would be expected of the Tenant.

The pub has been marketed for a number of years at a proposed price of £340,000 with some interest, but nothing that has come to a positive outcome. The CCPG commissioned an independent valuation of the property from MJD Hughes Ltd in November 2023 whose valuation valued the property at three levels – as a fully equipped operational entity, as an operational entity but subject to special assumptions (default), and as an empty and closed property. At the first level its valuation was £350,000, at the second, £295,000 and at the third, £245,000. These valuations of course reflect a pure business value and take no account of the value to the community of having an open and operable pub.

It would not take too much to get the pub opening and trading again at an initial level, albeit not one that we would settle for in the longer term, but the CCPG would consider that then the middle valuation to be fair. The owner in the past had indicated that a price of £315,000 could be accommodated and this figure has been agreed with him. There are additional costs to be considered – repairs to sewage system, small building repairs, kitchen equipment purchase, new furniture, as well as stamp duty, legal fees and so on. A total budget for the purchase would be £400,000.

There is a potential short term cash flow issue in that VAT would have to be paid on the value of the pub, since it is not operating, but this would be re-couped once open.

Our preference is once the pub is bought and owned by the CBS, we appoint a tenant to run and manage its operation on a day to day basis. They would live in the pub and operate it as their business, subject to the monthly rental that they would pay the CBS. This rental would cover any loan repayment, building insurance, main building repairs and so on. We would set up the tenancy agreement to cover our wishes of how we want the pub to operate, and would build a profit share clause into the agreement. The running of the pub would be the responsibility of the tenant with its success his prime aim as it is his business. The CCPG would conduct regular reviews with the tenant and the tenant agreement initially would be for a short term (three years) to give us flexibility. This option is preferred over us finding a manager and getting them to run it with our day-to-day involvement – their motivation for success would not be the same as a tenant, and we would end up as employers with attendant responsibilities.