Happy New Year from The Charsfield Three Horseshoes Community Pub Limited (the group set up in the village to help secure the future of our pub including, if needed, initiating a community purchase).
We have some good news: Board Member Peter Clitheroe has successfully negotiated the district council’s processes to secure the re-registration of the Three Horseshoes as an ‘Asset of Community Value’. That keeps in place what is sometimes called the ‘community right to bid’. That means that the property cannot be sold without us knowing it is on the market and without first allowing local people an opportunity to put in a bid.
More importantly, the ACV designation should (thanks to the council’s planning policies) prevent planning permission being granted for change of use of the pub to (say) housing. With assistance from the Parish Council it looks as though the ACV designation has stuck to the existing site boundaries which should secure that whole area.
That also then plays into the council’s decision on the long-standing planning application to build 3 houses on the car park area. The latest information suggests that will be considered by the planning committee at its meeting in February. With the ACV designation secured, planning permission should also be refused. Watch this space!
Finally, as a reminder of what could happen if we did not remain vigilant here in Charsfield: the new owners of the Brandeston Queen’s Head have applied for planning permission to turn it in to a private house. Details of that and links to allow for comments to be made on that proposal are here: https://publicaccess.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=details&keyVal=S5IJCQQXH3E00
Let’s hope 2024 is finally the year when we get some positive progress on restoring the Three Horseshoes and returning it to being an active pub.
Cheers
David Wolfe
(Chair)