Henry Jenkins Inn campaign group call on Harrogate Borough Council to save their pub
They're taking a petition to the council to make the pub an Asset of Community Value
Last updated 6th Oct 2021
A group of campaigners in Kirkby Malzeard are calling on the council to stop their beloved pub from being torn down.
Supporters of the Henry Jenkins Inn are meeting outside the Cenotaph in town this afternoon (Wednesday 6 October) asking for signatures to present to the council, calling on them to make it and Asset of Community Value. They've already received over 500 signatures.
If it is approved, the group aim to transform the building and create a community-owned pub, bistro and coffee shop.
Richard Sadler from the group, said: "One of the best things about this country is our pubs and we're losing them. Is it really worth it for three or four more houses?
"There is this incredible effort and enthusiasm in the village to do something good for the community. And what we're saying to Harrogate council is please back us because without their support this whole thing could fall by the wayside.
"This has been going on for years now. It's quite hard to keep people motivated over a long period of time but we're all so passionate about this.
"There are over 100 community owned pubs across the country and they're thriving and we will be able to do the same with the Henry Jenkins Inn."
Previously a developer wanted to knock down the Henry Jenkins Inn to make way for houses, but locals are fighting to save their much-loved pub.
In 2017 a previous campaign was successful in having the pub named as an Asset of Community Value but part of it has been de-listed by the council after it was sold on by the developer. This could mean their plan to buy and refurbish the Henry Jenkins Inn could fail.
The historic Henry Jenkins Inn has been part of the fabric of Kirkby Malzeard for centuries with people visiting from across the Harrogate district.
Nearly 200 members have raised £236,000 in pledges, with the intention of purchasing the whole Henry Jenkins site and refurbishing it.
Comments on the petition said the pub is a "community hub" and needs to be saved.
One said: "A pub is a community hub. Small villages need them, they're the heart of where you live."
Another, added: "Places that serve and enrich a community such as this need to be saved, nurtured and treasured. In an ever increasingly isolating world of working from home and with families becoming dispersed, pubs, particularly those in village settings, must be considered an asset not only to those who live locally but to visitors also."
You can check out the petition here.