Piddletrenthide villagers fight to buy their local pub
Villagers in the Piddletrenthide near Dorchester say they want to see pint being pulled at the Piddle Inn once more
Last updated 19th Nov 2021
Villagers in the Piddletrenthide near Dorchester have launched a campaign to buy their local pub and place it into the hands of community ownership.
The Piddle Inn called last orders for the final time when it closed during the first national lockdown in March 2020.
It's since changed ownership but it's not reopened as a pub.
The 19th century pub first opened as the Green Dragon and has remained a pub ever since, which is why villagers are so keen to keep its legacy going.
A group of villagers, upset by the closure of their beloved Piddle Inn, surveyed, and consulted the community and found that people wanted their pub back.
Supported by the Piddle Valley Parish Council, a Community Benefit society called Friends of the Piddle Inn has been set up. The pub has been listed with Dorset Council as an asset of Community Value.
The Piddle Inn owner has offered the pub for sale to the community, so the group’s aim is to raise enough money to buy the pub from its current owner to turn it back into a community hub.
Lynn Mailer, Chair of the Friend’s of the Piddle Valley told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset:
“We know that it will not be an easy or quick task. The Piddle Inn should be the cornerstone of our village community. Pubs are vital to rural areas -they help with feelings of isolation by giving residents a place to meet others, offer employment opportunities locally, without the need to travel, and encourage tourism. The Piddle Inn should be open as a public house for locals, and visitors alike to use and enjoy.”
What happens next?
The next stage of the process is to obtain a Business Buyers Report. The report will provide the group with the condition of the property, its market value, and its potential in terms of community value and level of trade.
The report will allow them to develop a plan and set a more accurate target for future fundraising efforts. A Crowdfunder has been set up to raise the money for this report.
Lynn added:
“We are planning a range of fundraising events to help pay for the various reports and activities needed along the way. We are looking at accessing grants too. The main fundraiser to purchase the Piddle Inn will be through a share release scheme.
“Saving the Piddle Inn could take a number of years and fundraising events to reach our goal.”
Next Event
The village hall will be hosting a pop-up pub on 27th November as one of the first fundraisers. More events will be happening as the campaign goes on..
The Crowdfunder can be found here.
You can find out more about the campaign here.