News about the Chamley Arms

This letter was sent out to everyone on the Friends of Warcop Pub e-mail list on 12/10/11:

Happy New Year to all!

A letter has been received by Friends of Warcop Pub dated 11/01/11 from Mark Frankland, owner of the Chamley Arms, in response to our letter dated 16/10/09.

He confirms that the current tenant has given up the business, and he considers that there is little chance of it re-opening and trading in its present format.

He states that planning permission will once again be applied for on the bases (sic) that the pub is not viable, not trading, but keeping the village pub aspect in the hope that the site will once again become a viable proposition if planning were to be granted, and in which case, he would be prepared to offer the Village Pub aspect to the community as outlined in the Government Community Bills.

At the same time the Chamley Arms is to be put up for sale after a valuation, but before doing this, the freehold is being offered to the village at a price of £250,000. He states that this is the minimum price he is prepared to accept based on the purchase price and their losses at the premises.

Further to this letter, the Parish Council meeting on Monday was informed that an offer has been made to the Parish Council to purchase the pub on behalf of the village. In light of this letter, discussions will be ongoing about this option. Several people have also come forward with an interest in managing different aspects of the business, which is also good news.

There are likely to be views and opinions about the contents of this letter, and actions to be taken in the coming months, so a FOWP meeting will be called shortly. However, other meetings were already booked with concerned parties in the next fortnight before the arrival of this letter. It would be preferable to see the outcome of those before a public meeting is called, particularly as these meetings concern funding and ownership options already available to Warcop.

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It has taken 18 months to reach this stage. Stage 2 may not be as quick as many in the village would hope; I think all of us want to see the doors open again and a new era for the Chamley Arms. So to inspire you, watch this video from Pub is the Hub, all about Cumbrian pubs that are succeeding as community concerns.

There are plenty of ideas to choose from for helping to rejuvenate the pub, so let's get our thinking hats on!