A CONSORTIUM of villagers who banded together to try and save their last remaining pub are celebrating after its future was secured.
Sixty Edington villagers had formed a group with the intention of buying and running The Lamb Inn to save it from developers after it closed at the end of July.
Now, despite failing in their bid to buy the pub, they are rejoicing after learning the new owner plans to reopen it as a pub and restaurant.
Mike Davies, who led the village group said, “The consortium is delighted that the pub looks to re-open in the not too distant future and that, by the sounds of it, there will be not an insignificant investment in it to improve some of the facilities. Obviously there is also a little bit of disappointment, as although it would have been hard work and time consuming for the consortium, it would also have been very exciting and lots of fun!
“In the end there were three offers for the Lamb, including ours. We were advised that the other two were also for pub use, so, although we were told ours was the lowest bid, we held our bid as it was.
“One of the other two parties has the pub under offer, so I guess completion in the next few weeks, all going to plan. If it doesn’t go to plan, our offer remains in place as a back stop.”
The Lamb had been on the market for £325,000.
The villagers’ biggest fear was that it would be sold to a developer to be turned into accommodation, leaving Edington without a village pub.
A spokesperson for Enterprise Inns, who are selling the pub said, “A sale has been agreed on The Lamb.
“We have been told that the new owner intends to trade the Lamb as a pub and restaurant.”