A village pub that residents feared was at risk of being redeveloped into housing is set to be listed for sale as a public house again, after months of campaigning.
The Three Horseshoes, in Wistow, was set to close last year but residents stepped in to try and save the pub.
The Keep Wistow Flowing steering group was set up in August by a small group of residents concerned that the village’s only pub could be at risk of redevelopment into housing.
The steering group gathered together pledges in a bid to purchase the pub from the landlord, but it is understood an initial offer was turned down.
The group and villagers backing the campaign, working with Wistow Parish Council, had previously applied to register the Grade II-listed building as an asset of community value, which protects it from change of use or redevelopment for a limited period.
It is understood the current owner is now intending to re-introduce the Three Horseshoes for sale to the market as a public house.
A spokesman for Keep Wistow Flowing said: “The most important first step of our campaign was to ensure we protected the pub from obtaining a change of use and being redeveloped as housing.
“This was achieved with Huntingdonshire District Council granting and confirming the Three Horseshoes in Wistow as an asset of community value.”
The spokesman said that plans were being considered for a possible second bid for the pub by the campaign group.
He added: “We aspire that the pub will once again be the hub of the Wistow and even more so a successful village pub for now and well into the future.
“We hope to be successful by reaching an agreement with the landlords and existing owners that will allow us to re-open as soon as possible.
“We have also been made aware that in the meantime the current owners intend to introduce the Three Horseshoes for sale to the market as a public house, this is great news.
“The Keep Wistow Flowing campaigners and all investors want to see the Three Horseshoes re-open its doors and be reinvented as a successful village pub.”
To find out more about the campaign, log on to http://keepwistowflowing.pub or search for Keep Wistow Flowing on Facebook.
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