MP 'delighted' as village pub saved

The Crown Inn in Newcastle-on-Clun, near Clun, was closed in January 2023 but the parish council has spent the last two years attempting to get grant funding to reopen the pub for the community.

The village heard before Christmas that the government announced it was to receive nearly £270,000 to refurbish and reopen a village pub.

The application for the funds was backed by former MP Philip Dunne and continued to be supported by his replacement Stuart Anderson MP. 

Mr Anderson said the successful bid reflects the power of local communities to reverse the decline in the closure of valued assets – including public houses in rural areas, after 400 of them shut their doors in 2024. 

The funding is from the Community Ownership Fund (COF), which was launched by the last government in 2021 with £150 million to ensure communities can support and continue benefiting from the local facilities, community assets, and amenities that are most important to them. 

Stuart Anderson MP said: “I was delighted to support this bid to reclaim The Crown Inn for the community. The project proves the power of local people to save valued community assets. I want the government to continue to equip rural communities like South Shropshire with the tools that are needed to ensure locally valued community assets are not lost by becoming derelict or being put up for sale following a change of use application.” 

Former MP Philip Dunne added:  “I am delighted that all the hard work put in to make a comprehensive plan to reopen The Crown as a community asset has paid off with this successful grant award. South Shropshire has once again shown determined local communities like Newcastle-on-Clun can really pull together to save valued local pubs to put the heart back into the village.” 

Steve Burge, of Newcastle-on-Clun Parish Council, who was part of the group that made the application, said : “We are grateful for being one of the lucky recipients of these funds and know that our community, given the continued interest in the revival of the pub, will be committed to ensuring this community asset becomes once again, a well-loved attraction in the Upper Clun Valley. If anyone would like to support our project or be added to our mailing list, please send an email to clerk@newcastleparishcouncil.org.uk”