Campaigners renew efforts to raise £250,000 to buy Skelton-on-Ure pub

Residents in Skelton-on-Ure are renewing efforts to raise £250,000 to buy their village pub.

The Black Lion, on Skelton Lane close to Newby Hall, between Boroughbridge and Ripon, was bought in December 2019 by Admiral Taverns.

However since then it has stood derelict, leaving locals questioning its future.

After the pub was put up for sale, residents called on people to pledge to buy a share in the pub in order to raise funds to buy it and revitalise it.

The pub was recently listed as an asset of community value by Harrogate Borough Council, which gives the group a six-month window to raise cash.

Now, residents have renewed efforts as they warn the “clock is ticking” on the chance to save the pub.

Sandy Delf, one of the residents involved in the Black Lion Community Hub and Pub group, said:

“So far the value of shares and promises in kind to help is in the region of £140,000. With government matched funding this would at present double monies to around £275,000.

“But the project still needs more funds. The community group are appealing for more pledges.”

The Black Lion pictured prior to its closure.

The group, which has received support from rural community charity the Plunkett Foundation, aims to raise £250,000 in order to access government match funding as part of the community ownership fund.

Shares in the pub cost £250 each and are open to people and businesses to submit an expression of interest.

For more information on how to pledge a share in the pub, visit the Black Lion Community Hub and Pub website here.

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Another Harrogate district school looks set to close

North Yorkshire County Council looks set to open a consultation on whether to close a school between Ripon and Boroughbridge.

Under the plan, Skelton Newby Hall Church of England Primary School would shut in August 2023. The council will recommend carrying out a consultation into the plans at a meeting on December 13.

A council report said numbers at the school has been “falling over the past few years” and there were concerns about the impact on pupils’ education.

As of this year, nine children and one nursery pupil were on roll at the school. It has capacity for 52.

The low number has meant key stage two teaching has been taking place at Sharow Church of England Primary School, which is federated with the school.

The report added:

“The governing body have been active in their collective efforts to raise numbers at the school through many initiatives over recent years including the introduction of nursery provision in September 2019, which has attracted some children to the school, although numbers have been small.

“Marketing of the school has been a collective effort by governors, staff and parents though this has not had a long-term result.”

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The county council estimates pupil numbers “will not recover significantly in the longer term and may reduce still further”.

In autumn this year, the governing body of the school approached the county council to request a consultation on a closure.

The report added:

“This decision was not taken lightly by the governing body. 

“The main issue was being able to provide such a small number of pupils with the rounded education that they deserve together with little prospect of future improvement in pupil numbers.”

The council has proposed that, should the school close, then the catchment area will be taken in by Kirby Hill Church of England Primary School.

A consultation into the closure will be held from January 2023, if approved. Senior county councillors will make a final decision whether to close the school next year.

Fourth school to close?

Skelton Newby Hall Church of England Primary School could become the fourth Harrogate district school to close in quick succession.

Kell Bank Church of England Primary School in Masham closed after 200 years in summer last year.

Baldersby St James Church of England Primary School, near Thirsk, closed in summer this year and Woodfield Community Primary School will shut this month.

However, governors at Fountains Earth Primary School in Upper Nidderdale withdrew their request for a consultation on closure this year and the school remain open.

 

Harrogate district residents aim to raise £250,000 to buy village pub

Residents in Skelton-on-Ure are aiming to raise £250,000 to buy their village pub, which has been shut for three years.

The Black Lion, on Skelton Lane close to Newby Hall, between Boroughbridge and Ripon, was bought in December 2019 by Admiral Taverns.

However since then it has stood derelict, leaving locals questioning its future.

The pub was put up for sale in June after its owners said it did not have a “long-term sustainable future”.

Admiral Taverns, which owns 1,600 pubs across the UK, said selling was the only option.

However, a group of residents are now calling on people to pledge to buy a share in the pub in order to raise funds to buy and revitalise it.

Sandy Delf, one of the residents involved in the Black Lion Community Hub and Pub, said:

“The ultimate aim is to open up a welcoming community pub and hub for the village and wider community.”

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The group, which has received support from rural community charity the Plunkett Foundation, aims to raise £250,000 in order to access government match funding as part of the community ownership fund.

Shares in the pub cost £250 each and are open to people and businesses to submit an expression of interest.

The Black Lion pictured prior to its closure.

The Black Lion pictured prior to its closure.

Mrs Delf said the venture was “especially vital in the current and recent past economic climate”, adding:

“Rural communities have particularly suffered from isolation and mental health issues as services such as public transport have become ever more diminished.”

The pub was recently listed as an asset of community value by Harrogate Borough Council.

The listing means residents have more time to raise funds to buy the property.

For more information on how to pledge a share in the pub, visit the Black Lion Community Hub and Pub website here.

Much-loved Skelton on Ure pub up for sale

A pub in Skelton on Ure has gone up for sale after the owners said it did not have a “long-term sustainable future”.

The Black Lion pub, which sits on Skelton Lane and is close to Newby Hall, was bought in December 2019 by Admiral Taverns.  However since then it has stood derelict, leaving locals questioning its future.

The company, which owns 1,600 pubs across the UK, said it saw selling it as the only option.

It is currently listed online by agents Everard Cole for offers in the region of £375,000 described as needing a “full refurbishment” with space for 105 covers, inside and out, and sitting on 0.8 acres of land with a former caravan site to the rear.

The listing also says the owners will consider offers “for existing pub use” only, suggesting local residents may get their wish and see the return of their much-loved village pub.

In May a number of residents contacted the Stray Ferret calling for the pub to reopen in its former glory.

The Stray Ferret went to Admiral Taverns for a comment but hadn’t received a reply at the time of publication.

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Skelton on Ure residents plead with owners to save ‘eyesore’ pub

Residents from Skelton on Ure are calling for answers about a beloved village pub that has lain dormant for two-and-a-half years.

The Black Lion pub was bought in December 2019 by Admiral Taverns, which owns 1,600 pubs across the UK.

With no sign of a sale residents are fed up and say the owners are being “extremely vague” about their plans for the future.

The pub, which sits on Skelton Lane and is close to Newby Hall, was bought by the company as part of the acquisition of 137 pubs from Marston’s brewery.

Residents said it had begun to decline just before the deal was done, but they were hopeful the new buyer could reinvigorate the country pub and restaurant.

Sandy Delf, who has lived in the village for more than a decade, said:

“We would really like it open again. Admiral Taverns just aren’t telling us anything and the pub is in a shocking state inside and out. One of my neighbours was outside weeding around it the other day.

“I think people are tired of seeing it in the state it’s in at present. There are so many opportunities, being in the location that it is.”

‘Community asset’

Another local resident, Penn Wall, said there may be an opportunity to develop around the back on the pub where a caravan park used to be:

“There is massive potential for this pub to be a great success. We have Newby Hall [nearby] which has numerous events over the year. If the pub were developed, with perhaps cabins at the back, it could be a great money-spinner for the new owners.

“There are many people who would support the pub if it was well-managed and welcoming. It would be very sad to lose such a valuable community asset, particularly when in this case so many of us feel that there is such potential.”

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With no sign of a listing online for its resale, residents are worried that the building could fall into further disrepair.

Jane Mosley added:

“As it stands now, it is an eyesore, a blot on the landscape and falling into further disrepair as the weeks pass.

“As a temporary measure, it would help if they could cover it in a building wrap like you see on some inner city building works, or paint the windows like they do in Knaresborough – anything to detract from the way it looks now.

“I am sure the directors at Admiral Taverns wouldn’t like this on their own doorsteps. Enough is enough.”

Other villagers on the village’s Facebook page suggested the only likely buyer would be a developer looking to change its use – and some agreed this would be better than the site staying in its current state.

Admiral Taverns has not confirmed whether the site is being sold as a development opportunity or as a pub.

A spokesperson said:

“We are strong believers in the importance of community pubs and our focus is always on helping our licensees to run sustainable pub businesses. After careful consideration, however, we felt in this instance that the Black Lion did not have a long-term sustainable future and therefore we’ve taken the decision to put the pub up for sale.”