Campaigning again - Stonesfield villagers call on new owner to reopen their last pub

Stonesfield residents and supporters of the Back The White Horse community pub campaign, turned out in force at a public meeting on 2 October to show their continued commitment to securing the future of the last pub in the village.

During the height of Covid and lockdown in 2020, the community gained worldwide media attention with their fundraising campaign to save the White Horse for the benefit of the community. They successfully raised almost half a million pounds from supporters around the world, but their bid was ultimately unsuccessful as the pub was sold to the CEO of JCB Real Estate, Jonathan Bowers.

Despite changing hands in January of this year, the pub remains closed nine months later with no indication of when it might reopen. Alongside fears that an application for change of use might be being planned, there is growing concern over the state of repair of the building and the safety threat it poses to passers-by. Both roof tiles and the pub sign have recently fallen down into the public highway and there are signs of potential flooding and damp inside. 

At a standing-room only meeting in the Village Hall on Saturday, Stonesfield Pub Group chair Steve Callaghan said it was a tragedy that despite very obvious enthusiasm for a vibrant pub in the village, the new owner had not responded to offers of support.

“There are no signs that it is being prepared for reopening,” Mr Callaghan said, “nor any advertising for a tenant to run it. We have offered to share our business plans and the research that we carried out with the local customer base, and we have also repeated our offer to buy the pub several times to Mr Bowers, should he reconsider ownership.” 

“Since July, many other pubs in the area have made a considerable amount of effort to recover from Covid. Some have shown that a little creativity, flexibility, and a real eye for what makes a pub successful, can attract customers back. As a community pub, The White Horse could benefit the community even further.”

“The strong show of support at our public meeting, proves this village still wants a pub as the hub in our community. We urge Mr Bowers to reopen the White Horse or to reconsider selling it to the community.”

Councillor Graham also addressed the more than 100 villagers present with a strong statement of personal support, highlighting the work he had already done to ensure the officers in West Oxfordshire District Council are aware of the situation and doing all they can to achieve a satisfactory outcome for residents. “This campaign is a real tribute to all the residents of Stonesfield,” he said. “You have shown the world what can be achieved when communities really pull together and how important a pub can be to community life. It is now time for the authorities to see what we can do to support you.” 

West Oxfordshire District Council have said they will be investigating Mr Bowers’ use of residential accommodation at the pub while it remains closed. Mr Callaghan also said the group was taking legal advice regarding a potential application for a compulsory purchase order.

The group is aware that their campaign could take time, but they are committed to seeing the pub reopen as soon as possible.

“There are a number of cases of local pubs that have been boarded up for a decade or longer,” said Mr Callaghan, “It would be in no one’s interest to see the White Horse in Stonesfield become another name on that list.”

For more information about the campaign please visit https://www.backthewhitehorse.com or email info@backthewhitehorse.com