Wiltshire Council has received an application for the final phase of work on a village pub that the community are fighting to save.

The Hop Pole Inn in Limpley Stoke, a village in the Avon valley four miles outside Bath, has been the subject of a £1.2 million restoration project.

£900,000 of that money has already been raised thanks to a highly successful community share issue supported by almost 600 people.

The third and final stage of construction, which will affect the rear of the building and the garden, is now being considered by Wiltshire Council.

This work will include the renewal of the kitchen, toilets and garden.

The changes will improve access and use of the garden and increase the sustainability of the venue.

The proposal also suggests a new structure to carry photovoltaic cells that should provide a third of general power to the pub.

Wiltshire Times: The proposed aerial view of the rear of the pub.The proposed aerial view of the rear of the pub. (Image: Limpley Stoke Community Benefit Society)

Wiltshire Council has until Thursday, February 8, 2024, to make its decision.

The application states: “The repair, restoration, renovation, extension and reopening of the Hop Pole Inn is the focus of Limpley Stoke Community Benefits Society and its 576 shareholders of whom over 80% live in the immediate area.

“Our shared objective is to create a stronger, more resilient community through the reopening of the pub as a hub for social engagement, tourism, local business, employment and as an inspiration to our community and our neighbouring communities as an exemplar for community lead sustainable development.”

Wiltshire Times: The rear elevation in August 2022, before construction began.The rear elevation in August 2022, before construction began. (Image: Limpley Stoke Community Benefit Society)
The project is community-owned and has received grants including £300,000 from the government’s Community Ownership Fund and £10,000 apiece from the National Lottery and the Swindon-based Hills Group Ltd, through the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF) which is administered for Hills by Community First, the Rural Community Council for Wiltshire.

According to the heritage statement, the Hop Pole Inn likely served as a pub for the village since well before 1841.

It benefitted from being close to the Limpley Stoke railway station, which closed in 1966.

The pub was closed in 2018 after years of declining business and the Parish Council submitted a bid of £218,000 to the owners, Wellington Pub Company, in 2020.

This bid was rejected, but no alternative buyer was found after the freehold was put up for sale at £325,000.

The Limpley Stoke Community Benefit Society was formed in August 2021 and a campaign began to encourage villagers to invest in shares in the company.

The society’s bid was successful when fundraising reached £500,000 and the purchase was completed in Spring 2022.