Residents in Semington are taking the next step in their plans to reopen the village’s pub for the community.
Seven residents have formed a team with the aim to potentially take on the Somerset Arms, which closed in 2023, and has been on sale since last November.
The idea would be for the residents to form a Community Benefit Society, a type of social enterprise that serves the needs of a community, and reinvent the pub.
“If we attempt this CBS approach, it is a big task and will need many more than the seven of us to make this happen. All sorts of skills are needed as well as financial support,” said one of the residents.
Following the pub’s closure in March 2023, Semington Parish Council submitted a successful application to have the building registered as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).
This registration triggered a notification to the parish council that the owners of the Somerset Arms, Wellington Group, intended to put it up for sale. However, under the ACV terms, the community has the right to bid to buy the pub.
“We are currently not aware of anyone keen enough and in a position to buy it outright,” said one of the residents. “As such, we feel the best current option is to secure the purchase and refurbishment by setting up a Community Benefit Society (CBS) or similar legal entity into which funds can be put to look to meet this objective,” said the residents.
“We also feel the pub subsequently needs to be run by a professional, experienced team with lease/rent at an affordable level paid to the CBS.”
The group plans to deliver a survey to all residents in the parish asking for residents’ views and opinions on the pub being taken over by a CBS.
“We really need as many people as possible to show their support and concerns by filling them in and returning them to us,” said the residents. “The results of this will determine whether or not we go on to the next stage or give up at the first hurdle.
“Please feel free to talk to any of us about the project in the meantime. We hope to get the survey ready for the second half of May, with returns required by Tuesday 15th July. We believe we have until 1st May 2026 before the current owners might look to sell the property for other purposes.”
There are currently 217 community-owned pubs in Britain with another 78 others with active campaigns. There are six open within 15 miles of Semington and at least one other with an active campaign.
Based on information from The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), 96% of those which have opened under community ownership are still running, even though data covers the Covid period.
