Punch Taverns Susceptible To Press & Social Media Engagement

So, Save The Red Lion Campaign this afternoon issued a press release referencing that it has written to Punch Taverns Chief Operating Officer & within a couple of hours we receive an email from them. This followed use of Twitter directly to Punch Taverns & its estate agents.

Interesting to track how our press release ends up with Punch Taverns so quickly. Interesting how Punch Taverns respond so quickly.

Ball well & truly in Punch Taverns court!

Campaign Support From Secretary of State - But What About Owner Punch Taverns?

Following on from the great local support for Save The Red Lion Campaign from its patron’s the Reverend Susie Williams & local MP the Rt Hon Hugo Swire, as well as many local East Devon District Councillors & our Devon County Councillor Claire Wright, further support became known today.

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government last week wrote to Hugo Swire MP saying - “I commend the efforts that you and your constituents are making to keep the Red Lion pub open for the community. My Department is keen to support communities who want to save their local pubs”.

The Campaign is looking for similar approach by Punch Taverns, the owner of the Red Lion, in not only word, but in deed. To try to move discussions forward with Punch Taverns the Campaign has today written directly to its Chief Operating Officer Neil Griffiths urging him to facilitate meaningful discussions about the possibility of the Campaign successfully purchasing the pub.

We now wait to see if we will receive a positive response from Punch Tavern’s Chief Operating Officer Neil Griffiths, after all Punch Taverns told the local press in May in response to the creation of the Campaign that it “may explore other options around the future of our less sustainable sites or where they might better fulfil their potential for the local community under different ownership”. Let’s see if Punch Taverns will be as good as their word.

Punch Taverns want to sell the Red Lion. The Campaign wants to buy it. What can be so difficult?

Today's Pulman's View Campaign Report

Today’s Pulman’s View from Sidmouth paper carries the continuing story of Save The Red Lion Campaign’s attempts to retain the Red Lion for the community. The story on page 4 is headed “Small victory for pub campaigners – Fight to save Red Lion continues”.

View the article - http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?pbid=b553c14a-f023-4ec6-a5ac-b9d745b0d550

Are Punch Taverns Or Its Agents Listening?

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! The Red Lion’s owner Punch Taverns is back in the financial pages of the press this week. But for all of the wrong reasons! Earlier this week this blog signposted visitors to this site to the Daily Telegraph article about how debt laden - £2.3bn – Punch Taverns was struggling to keep its head above water.

The financial pages had clearly been expecting Punch Taverns latest financial news, none the less it doesn’t look bright for Punch. Its annual pre-tax profit slumped by a whopping 68%. It continues to dump assets. It continues – two years & counting now – to try to restructure its debt.

Punch tried & failed to get shareholder agreement in June to a debt restructuring. That failed. Now Punch appears to have a few more months to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat and get its debt restructuring sorted. The Telegraph sees foreclosure looming.

So, one has to ask wouldn’t Punch be only too happy to maximise its income, however small, in these difficult times? It appears not! Save The Red Lion Campaign has told Punch Taverns agent, Jones Lang laSalle, which is trying to sell the Red Lion, that we are interested in doing so. And in response the Campaign is pushed away. So, another 6 months will go by without anyone putting money on the table to buy the pub as no one else other than the Campaign can do that until mid March 2014.

Punch’s strategy is now clear! The hordes of potential purchasers will come running with bags of money next March. That strategy work for the 6 months since Punch put the pub up for sale. Not!

If you were in debt, wouldn’t you want to maximise your income to reduce the debt & your repayments? Selling a pub that you don’t want anyway might be a way of raising income, reducing debt & reducing debt repayments – even a little bit.

Save The Red Lion Campaign is willing to buy the pub. Not at any price, but at the right price. But is Punch or is its agent able or willing to do a deal? Answers on a postcard please!

Read the financial press articles –

Daily Telegraph, 26 September –

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/10334794/Punch-Taverns-faces-last-orders-over-debt-restructuring.html

Financial Times, 26 September -

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c04b1ad2-25b1-11e3-aee8-00144feab7de.html#axzz2g6HaSOpn

Guardian, 25 September -

http://www.theguardian.com/business/marketforceslive/2013/sep/25/punch-taverns-profit-fall-restructuring

Publicans Morning Advertiser -

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Company-City-News/Punch-Taverns-results-in-line-with-expectations

Red Lion Share Interest Pledge Form

This is the content of the form for registering an interest in purchasing shares in a future Red Lion business –

A Vision for the Red Lion

Register an interest in buying shares in the

Red Lion, Sidbury as a Community Pub

As the pub has been listed as an Asset of Community Value, and the Campaign has registered as a potential purchaser, this gives it sole negotiating rights to seek to buy the pub. This remains until 10 March. The Campaign can withdraw from the process at any stage during this period.

In order to prepare to potentially purchase the pub the Campaign Steering Group has decided to do establish an Independent Provident Society as a company limited by guarantee. This would allow it to raise capital funds.

Providing that a proper business case is put to you, explaining how the Red Lion will be bought and operated and that you are satisfied with the level of risk involved; how much would you be prepared to invest buying shares in the company?

ð                    None

ð                   £100

ð                    £500

ð                    £1,000

ð                    £2,000

ð                    £5,000

ð                    £10,000

ð                    £20,000 (maximum per person)

ð                    Other (please specify amount) ...................................................

ð                   Donation (please specify amount) ..............................................

ð                   Loan (please specify amount) ....................................................

                                   

It is very important that we are able to contact you regarding future developments and in order to make a formal share offering. Please note that your details will be held on a computer database and will only be used in order to contact you regarding Campaign and potential purchase of the Red Lion (below). Your reply will be held in the strictest confidence and is an essential part of preparing for a community bid to buy the pub.

Please insert your contact details below –

Name: ..................................................................................................................

Address Line 1: ...................................................................................................
           
Address Line 2: ...................................................................................................

Address Line 3: ...................................................................................................

Post Code: ..........................................................................................................

Contact Phone: (h) ................................................ (m) .......................................

Email Address: ....................................................................................................

By indicating that I am interested in investing in the purchase of the Red Lion Sidbury I agree to my name, address, phone number, email address (where applicable) and the likely amount of my investment being held on a computer database. I understand that this information will be used for the purpose of maintaining a register of potential shareholders of the Red Lion pub, Sidbury, and for posting of notices regarding the activities of the Campaign and will not be passed to third parties.

Please return this form to:

Save The Red Lion Campaign c/o West Barn, Northcombe Farm, Salcombe Regis EX10 0JQ

Or download a form from the Campaign blogsite –http://thepubinthevillage.blogspot.com and email it to: ThePubInTheVillage@gmail.com.

Campaign Public Meeting - Questionnaires & Information Update

Below is the text of a communication that was sent today to all Campaign Supporters updating them on the latest issues relating to the Campaign. We encourage visitors to this site to look at the two questionnaires that are mentioned and to complete & return them to us. The addresses to use to return them are on both questionnaires.

Many thanks to all those who took the time on Tuesday evening to attend the Campaign’s successful Public Meeting in the village hall where an update on the key activities that the Campaign has been involved in over the past four months since it was launched was given. Additionally, the next set of important steps that the campaign has to undertake if it is to be able to purchase the pub were outlined, as were the implications of having had EDDC list the Red Lion as an asset of Community Value. All of the points covered at the meeting are contained in the attached document headed “A Campaign Update”
http://sites.google.com/site/thepubinthevillage/24.9.13SaveTheRedLionPublicMeetingUpdate.doc

I have attached a photograph taken at the meeting. The Campaign is very grateful to the local Badminton Club who agreed to forego their regular session in the village hall in order that the meeting could be held.

We also were able to launch a number of important questionnaires which are also attached.
The first questionnaire is “Initial Questionnaire: Community Support & Aspirations”
http://sites.google.com/site/thepubinthevillage/SaveTheRedLionPublicQuestionnnaireFinal.doc

If the Campaign is to purchase the pub then it has to do so on the basis that it intends to run it as a viable business, and in order to achieve this then the Campaign has therefore to put together a business plan that will support this. In preparing a business plan something that the Steering Group are starting to do, it needs to know two sets of things from local people. Firstly, what sort of pub would you want the Red Lion to be in the future? Secondly, what “services” could the Red Lion facilitate for the community?

This questionnaire seeks to get answers to both these sets of questions. So please can you take the time to complete this questionnaire& return it as soon as possible. The more completed questionnaires we receive, the more we can try to shape a future business to meet community aspirations.

The second questionnaire is Register an interest in buying shares in the Red Lion, Sidbury as a community pub”
http://sites.google.com/site/thepubinthevillage/SaveTheRedLionSharesPledgeFormFinal.doc

NB: the link to this document appears to not work. If the details are put into your search engine then it can be accessed – apologies!

 It will not be cheap to buy the pub & invest in upgrading it. However at this point the Steering Group don’t precisely know how much will be needed to be raised. Very clearly we will need to raise several hundreds of thousands of pounds of capital to invest in the pub.

We will be trying to fund the capital investment needed for a viable business from a number of sources. Firstly, through grants from organisations such as the Lottery & the Heritage Foundation. Secondly, through loans e.g. a mortgage. Thirdly, through issuing shares in the business.

It is this last point that this questionnaire addresses. We are seeking expressions of interest, which are not binding on you in any way, from those who support the objective of the wider community owning the pub, in potentially purchasing shares in the business.

We recognise that before anyone can formally commit their money in investing in a future business they will need to have detailed information about the business. That will come. At this point the Steering Group is only trying to find out the potential number of people who might consider investing in the Red Lion of the future.
If you are in anyway interested in potentially investing in the pub I would ask you to complete this questionnaire. You respond will be treated in total confidence. I am pleased that from those who attended the meeting we already have a significant amount of investment pledged. That is an encouraging early start!

We are incredibly disappointed & frankly bemused that neither Punch Taverns nor the agents that are marketing the pub appear to want to pick up the phone and talk to us about how we might reach an agreed price for the pub. It's not as if Punch don't need the money or that the agents have been inundated with prospective purchasers, other than us! It feels as if they deliberately want to frustrate the wishes of the community to own their village pub.

Please take the time to consider the two questionnaires. Please take the time to complete and return them. The sooner we receive these, the easier it will make the Steering Group’s job of preparing a viable and successful bid to purchase the pub.

Please also pass copies of these on to any friends or relatives who might be interested in the future of the pub, and as always keep up to date with what is going on via the Campaign Blog at http://thepubinthevillage.blogspot.com.

Sidmouth Herald Report Of CampaignPublic Meeting

Today’s Sidmouth Herald reports, under the heading “Community should own the Red Lion”, on Save The Red Lion’s successful Public Meeting that was held in the village hall on Tuesday evening.  The report is on page 20 of the paper & can be read at – http://sites.google.com/site/thepubinthevillage/27.9.13SidmouthHeraldArticle.pdf.

Here is a photograph of the meeting –

Our Worldwide Visitors

For those who are regular readers of this blog we are able to view how many hits we receive from abroad. Apart from the USA, the other countries with the largest number of visits & which have regular visitors to this site are set out below. This table shows the total number of visits from each to date -

Russia	261
Greece	53
Ireland	43
Germany	34
Netherlands	34
China	33
Serbia	23
Canada	19

We are pleased to have such widespread & global interest in the future of a small pub in a small East Devon village & would love to understand why!

Red Lion Owner's Problem Are Getting Worse

Whilst the Red Lion’s owner Punch Taverns & the estate agent that has been instructed to sell the pub, Jones Lang laSalle, decide to play hard ball with Save The Red Lion Campaign, the press reports that Punch Taverns has now admitted that it could be unable to continue trading as it is struggling to service its £2.3bn debt!

During this year Punch Taverns have disposed of 433 pubs which brings the total that it has sold since 2011 to 1,100. Punch Taverns has a further 1,200 pubs, including the Red Lion, that it intends to dispose of over the next four years.

Coverage of Punch Taverns latest woes is in today’s Telegraph and it can be read at - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/10334794/Punch-Taverns-faces-last-orders-over-debt-restructuring.html

Perhaps at some point Punch Taverns & its estate agent will wake up & realise that Save The Red Lion Campaign is likely to be the only interested buyer. They need to start to engage with the Campaign in a positive & meaningful way.

Successful Campaign Public Meeting Last Night

Great Public Meeting last night in Sidbury Village Hall as the Campaign progress to date & what needs now to be done to make the Campaign objective of retaining the Red Lion as a pub for the community a reality were all explained.

Good to have the gentlemen of the press there from Sidmouth Herald & Pulman’s View. Great also to have Clr Claire Wright there.

Photographs will be uploaded but not for a couple of days – work intervenes!

Express & Echo And SidmouthHerald Latest Campaign Coverage

The most recent local press coverage contained in 19 September Express & Echo paper and 20 September Sidmouth Herald are available at – http://sites.google.com/site/thepubinthevillage.19.9.13Express&EchoArticle.pdf

http://sites.google.com/site/thepubinthevillage.20.9.13SidmouthHeraldArticles.pdf

Campaign Latest In Today's Publicans Morning Advertiser

A stalwart of the publicans’ trade press, Publicans Morning Advertiser, has again recognised the importance of Save The Red Lion Campaign’s activities as it today caught up with the listing of the Red Lion pub as an Asset of Community Value.

The Publicans Morning Advertiser reports on East Devon District Council’s listing of the Red Lion at – http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/General-News/East-Devon-village-pub-becomes-asset-of-community-value.

Don't Forget - Campaign Public Meeting Tomorrow Evening!

Don’t forget that Save The Red Lion Campaign Public Meeting that is being held tomorrow (24 September) evening starts at 7.30pm in the Sidbury Village Hall.

The meeting will include an update on the Campaign to date & what now needs to happen in order to bring about a successful purchase of the Red Lion.

The meeting is open to all. Please encourage your friends to come along too.

Western Morning News Reports Listing Of Red Lion

The Western Morning News carried a story on Monday reporting on East Devon District Council’s decision to list the Red Lion as an Asset of Community Value. The paper’s report can be read at - http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Extra-time-granted-villagers-fight-save-pub/story-19800919-detail/story.html.

As the week progresses local newspapers are also expected to carry this story.

18 September - Further Express & Echo Campaign Coverage

Yesterday’s Express & Echo carries a report on the listing of the Red Lion pub as an Asset of Community Value under the heading “Pub now listed as an asset to the community”.

This story can be seen at - http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Pub-listed-asset-community/story-19818296-detail/story.html

Great Campaign Coverage In Today's Sidmouth Herald

Today’s Sidmouth Herald carries the Campaign’s Public Meeting advert on page 7, a letter of thanks from the Campaign at page 10 & a full report on the Red Lion becoming listed as an  Asset of Community Value on page 13.

19 September - Express & Echo Campaign Report

Today’s Express & Echo carries a report on the listing of the Red Lion pub as an Asset of Community Value under the heading “Pub now listed as an asset to the community”.

This story can be seen at - http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Pub-listed-asset-community/story-19818296-detail/story.html

Express & Echo Suggest Outside Red Lion Ideal Spot to Watch Tour Of Britain

Today’s Express & Echo newspaper reports on the “Best places to watch the Tour of Britain in Devon”.  It says that “The Westcountry will host the 10th anniversary of the Tour of Britain tomorrow when the country’s biggest cycling event arrives in Devon. But where are the best places to see likes of Olympic hero Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish as they make their way along the tough 85-mile (137km) route?”.

Following the cycle race from the stage start on 20 September in Sidmouth and onwards through Sidford & on through Sidbury, before climbing on to Honiton, the article suggests that the second best place to watch the race from is – “Outside the Red Lion pub in Sidbury: The picturesque village is an ideal spot to stop for a pint as the race passes”. Don’t forget to get along to this recommended spot as the cyclists wizz through Sidbury on this tough stage of the Tour of Britain race.

The Express & Echo story is at - http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Best-places-watch-Tour-Britain-Devon/story-19813406-detail/story.html.

18 September - Express & Echo Campaign Report

Yesterday’s Express & Echo website carried both stories of Save The Red Lion Campaign getting the Red Lion listed as an Asset of Community Value and the removal of the Campaign banner from Sidbury. The paper’s story is at - http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Residents-condemn-childish-behaviour-campaign/story-19812248-detail/story.html.

It is good to note that the person who removed the banner decided to return it. Unfortunately they didn’t bother to erected it, this was done by a Campaign Supporter who lives near to where the banner was sited.

We did say at the time that the banner was taken that this would guarantee local press coverage for the Campaign. And it did!

Sidbury Fair Day & Campaign Questionnaire

Great time today at Sidbury Fair Day as members of Save The Red Lion Campaign engaged with people at its stall. As a result the Campaign has new Supporters who have signed up.

In addition the day was an opportunity to explain face to face with people what the Campaign is doing & why. Adverts for the Campaign’s Public meeting on 24 September were distributed, as were copies of a questionnaire which asks what sort of pub the local community would like the Red Lion to be if the community purchased it.

The Campaign needs to draw up a viable business plan for the Red Lion that reflects the aspirations of the local community & the information obtained from the questionnaire will assist in informing this. Please complete & either hand the form in at the forthcoming Public Meeting, post it to the address at the bottom of the questionnaire or send back electronically to the Campaign email address.

Whatever you do, please complete the questionnaire, as we need to know what you think & want. The questionnaire can be downloaded at – http://sites.google.com/site/thepubinthevillage/SaveTheRedLionPublicQuestionnaireFinal.doc

Campaign Public Meeting - 24 September

Have you been wondering ......

What has the Campaign been doing since it was launched on 19 May?

What does the Red Lion being listed as an Asset of the Community mean for the pub & the village?

Is the Campaign intending to really try & buy the Red Lion?

How will the Campaign decide what sort of pub the Red Lion ought to be if it bought it?

How will the Campaign find the money to buy the Red Lion?

How can I support the Campaign & keep in touch with what it is doing?

Come along to the Campaign’s open meeting to find out!

A Message Of Thanks

Obtaining the listing of the Red Lion as an Asset of the Community came about in part thanks to the support for the Campaign received from local Devon County & East Devon County Councillors. In particular the Campaign expresses thanks to DCC Clr Claire Wright, who is also an EDDC Councillor, as well as to EDDC Councillors Chris Wale, Roger Giles & Andrew Moulding.

Over recent months these Councillors have said of the Campaign –

DCC & EDDC Clr Claire Wright
I am writing to support the application by the Save The Red Lion Campaign group to register the Red Lion, Sidbury, as an Asset of Community Value, so that the community might have the opportunity to purchase it.  The Red Lion pub is the only pub in Sidbury and there is a huge groundswell of support to retain it. Although I am not the Sidbury EDDC ward member, Sidbury is in my county ward, and I am very supportive of the aims of the campaign group, which is working really hard and doing a brilliant job.

EDDC Clr Chris Wale
As the Rural ward member for EDDC you will/should be aware that I am fully behind your initiative and back you campaign in that the I see the Red Lion nothing other that an "Asset of Community Value" and will duly support this application.

EDDC Clr Roger Giles
I am very pleased to write to you in support of retaining the Red Lion in Sidbury, as I have been asked to do. I strongly support the campaign to list it as an “Asset of Community Value”. I write as an EDDC Councillor for Ottery Town – a nearby ward. I was, until May, the Devon County Councillor for Sidbury and do understand just how important the Red Lion is as a community facility in Sidbury.
To lose the only pub in Sidbury would be a devastating blow. I hope very much that EDDC will do everything it can to ensure the future of the Red Lion as a pub and vital hub of the community. I understand that Cllr Claire Wright, my successor as DCC Cllr for Sidbury, is supporting the campaign. I trust that Cllr Chris Wale EDDC member for Sidbury is doing likewise.

EDDC Clr Andrew Moulding
I have great sympathy with your campaign - I live in the village of Musbury and it would be devastating for the village if we lost the pub. I am sure you are doing the right thing with regard to your application to register the Red Lion as an "Asset of Community Value".

Thanks for their support & encouragement also are extended to our two Campaign Patrons, the Reverend Susie Williams and our local MP Hugo Swire. There are also many other local Campaign Supporters whose support has been invaluable.

Sidbury Fair Day - 18 September

Wednesday 18 September is Sidbury Fair Day the most important day in the village calendar. The village will be full to bursting as it celebrates a centuries old village fair day tradition.

To give you an idea as to how busy the village will be on Sidbury Fair Day here’s a photograph taken at a previous one –

Campaign Bank Account Is Having Teething Problems!

The Campaign recently set up a bank account as it has started to receive a few most welcome donations. If you have tried to sent a donation directly to the Campaign’s bank account you may have encountered a difficulty in getting the payment accepted.

Unfortunately our bank, Lloyds, having provided the Campaign with the account details and a cheque book then went & suspended the account with informing us. It transpires that Lloyds own internal fraud prevention measures, that have to undertaken whenever a new bank account is opened these days, weren’t properly followed! This was no fault of the Campaign’s!

We are in the process of getting the bank to sort out their outstanding checks on the signatories on the account. We are expecting the account to be fully useable in the next day or so. Apologies to anyone who tried unsuccessfully to place money straight into our account.

The Campaign must record its thanks to our local Devon County Councillor Claire Wright who has donated £250 from her DCC locality account to the Campaign in order to assist us in our activities. This donation was very much needed & was most welcome.

Campaign Banner Returned!

Whoever removed the Campaign banner from the village during Sunday afternoon appears to have had a change of mind & yesterday morning it was returned, although it was just left on the ground.

It’s a shame that it was ever taken in the first place. The banner is back up on display once more as this photograph taken yesterday by a Campaign Supporter shows –

Save The Red Lion Campaign banner back in place

Campaign Banner Stolen!

Yesterday morning the Campaign banner was erected outside Furze Hill Farm along with notices related to Sidbury Fair Week.

This afternoon someone has stolen the banner! How childish this is. Who sees the Campaign as a threat?

For those who weren’t quick enough to see the banner proudly in place here’s a photograph of it -





Letter Confirming Listing Of Red Lion Pub As An Asset Of Community Value

This letter says it all!

Date:                 12^th September 2013

Contact number:   01395 517548

E-mail:               nwright@eastdevon.gov.uk

Direct fax:               01395 517509

Our Reference:     NW/CA003

Your Reference:  

East Devon District Council Knowle Sidmouth Devon EX10 8HL DX 48705 Sidmouth Tel: 01395 516551 www.eastdevon.gov.uk

Mr J Loudoun

Dear Mr Loudoun

Asset of Community Value Nomination/Notice of Sale

The Red Lion Public House – community Asset

With reference to our telephone conversation on Wednesday 11 September 2013, I can confirm that the Red Lion, Sidbury has been listed as a Community Asset with effect of 11 September 2013.

As the asset was already up for sale, the initial moratorium period starts with immediate effect.  As the Red Lion Campaign Group was the nominating body, you have a period of 6 weeks until 23 October 2013, to confirm to me in writing if they wish to be treated as a potential bidder.

If the Red Lion Campaign Group does decide to bid for the property, the full moratorium of 6 months, form 11 September 2013 takes effect.  During this period the owner can sell to the Red Lion Campaign group at any time.  The owner may continue to market and negotiate sales, but cannot enter into binding contract to sell the property until the 6 months has elapsed.  Once this period has passed or the Red Lion Campaign Group has withdrawn from the process, the owner can sell to whomever they wish at whatever price they wish. 

No further restriction of sale can be put on the property for 18 months directly following the period of the moratorium.

Yours sincerely

Nick Wright

Economy Practice Manager

For Head of Economy

Campaign Gets Red Lion Pub Listed As Asset Of Community Value!

Save The Red Lion Campaign is delighted to announce that East Devon District Council has agreed to the request from Save The Red Lion Campaign to list the Red Lion pub in Sidbury village, East Devon, as an Asset of Community Value under the 2012 Localism Act. The District Council’s important decision is a significant one for a rural community in East Devon.

This listing is only the second that the District Council has made and the Red Lion pub now joins around a hundred other pubs across the country which have been listed as Assets of Community Value by their local authorities. This reflects a growing demand by local communities to not only save their “locals” but also for communities to decide what sort of pub they want to have.

Fred Burnett, Save the Red Lion Campaign’s Chair, welcomed the decision saying “This is marvellous news! The fact that East Devon District Council has responded so positively and swiftly to Save The Red Lion Campaign’s request to have the pub listed as an asset of Community Value shows the importance that it attaches to the Campaign’s aim of retaining the pub at the heart of the village”.

The East Devon District Council’s decision is an important first step in Save The Red Lion Campaign’s objective of retaining the Red Lion, the only pub in the village, for the community. The pub’s owner, Punch Taverns put the pub up for sale five months ago. The Campaign was launched in May 2013 in response to the shock announcement that the Red Lion had been put up for sale.

The Campaign now has six weeks in which it has to decide whether it wants to be treated as a potential purchaser of the pub. If the Campaign decides to exercise its right to try to purchase the pub then it would have a total of six months during which to seek to conclude a successful deal. During both this time the pub’s owner cannot sell the pub to anyone other than the Campaign.

John Loudoun, the Campaign’s Secretary said “We are now starting the hard work of using expert advisers to assist us in developing a viable business plan for the pub and we are looking at how we will be able to raise the necessary funding to purchase and upgrade the pub.”

Fred Burnett added “I am confident that if the business plan reflects the needs of the local community then local people will feel confident in investing in this potentially exciting venture. We hope that the pub’s owner Punch Taverns will now talk seriously to us about how we can successfully buy the pub for the community ”.

Local MP, the Right Honourable Hugo Swire, who is also a Patron of Save The Red Lion Campaign said of the decision “I very much welcome this exciting and unique decision by East Devon District Council. I am very much in favour of the Red Lion being retained as a village pub. I wish the Campaign all the best in its attempts to buy the pub for the local community and to ensure that it has a successful long term future”.

“Pubs like the Red Lion are vitally important to keeping villages alive. I look forward to having my first pint what I hope will be the first community owned pub in East Devon”.

The Campaign Steering Group will now need to consider whether it wants to formally be treated as a potential bidder for the Red Lion pub and to start the detailed process of creating a viable business plan, raising the capital required to purchase & upgrade the pub, as well as successfully buying it.

The hard work for the Campaign really starts now!

Significant Exciting Important Campaign Announcement Coming - Soon!

Save The Red Lion Campaign will be posting a significant, exciting & important announcement here at 8.00am on Friday 13 September.

If you are looking for this announcement before the due time – apologies it’s not here yet! Patience is a virtue!

The Campaign will be at Sidbury Fair

Next week is an extremely busy week with Sidbury Fair Week activities taking place in the village. Across the week there are many & varied events starting, on Saturday 14 September, with the Sidbury Fair Horticultural Show. This is followed on Sunday 15 September with the Sidbury Fair Fun Run & Walk.

Tuesday 17 September sees the throwing of Hot Pennies to local school children from the old Royal Oak premises, as well as from the Red Lion pub. The highlight of the Week is on Wednesday 18 September with Sidbury Fair itself taking place in the centre of the village.

Save The Red Lion Campaign will be having a stall at the Fair. We will be promoting the Campaign & its forthcoming public meeting – being held on 24 September in the Village Hall, starting at 7.30pm.

This is just a selection of some of the exciting events taking place in the village throughout Sidbury Fair Week. For details of events during the Week take a look at the Sidbury Village website - http://www.sidbury.org.uk/.

At the end of Sidbury Fair week on Friday 20 September the Tour of Britain cycle race will be passing through the village with the race stage that morning having set off from Sidmouth sea front.

Throughout Sidbury Fair Week, Save The Red Lion Campaign will have one of its banners placed at Burnt Oak outside of Furze Hill Farm. Look out for the Campaign banner which is below.

Still On Our Holidays!

We are still on our holidays. Normal service will resume next week as the deadline draws near for a decision from East Devon District Council to the request by Save The Red Lion Campaign for the Red Lion pub to be listed as an Asset of Community Value.