A village pub in Longparish that was brought back to life by campaigners is set to reopen soon with its premise licence now pending before the Test Valley Borough Council.

It comes as 70 people met on Zoom to hear about progress on the future of the pub, which was bought by the community.

The Plough Inn was set to be converted into a residential dwelling, but the application was refused by the local planning authority in July 2018, following significant local objection.

It was then purchased by a campaign named Plough Ahead after they raised over £225,000 by selling shares for £10 each.

Longparish parish council also assisted the fundraising by unanimously approving an application for a £300,000 loan to help purchase the pub, thus becoming the legal owners under the plans, with Plough Ahead taking on the lease.

The local pub at the heart of the community is now nearing reopening as David Marklew, on behalf of the pub, has applied for the new grant of a premises licence.

Work is also taking place to refurbish the pub, with volunteers coming in every weekend. Preliminary tree works have taken place so the garden can be landscaped while inside, accessibility has been improved by remodelling the bar and washroom so the pub can be used by all.

Plans have been drawn up for the new kitchen, bar and interior design scheme. Every weekend a team of volunteers has been working either in the garden or inside the pub.

The committee is now looking for staff to run The Plough. Chairman Andy Jolliffe said it’s important to find the right manager: “We need to find someone with the skills, experience and passion to help us build both a thriving community hub for locals and a high-quality rural destination pub.

"The manager role comes with a very competitive salary – and a newly re-furbished two-bedroom apartment at the heart of a wonderful village. We would love to hear from anyone who thinks they fit the role.”

The Plough Inn opened in 1721, and was one of the village’s premier watering holes for much of that time. It closed in 2015, and was subsequently sold to a property developer. It survived plans to convert it into a residence in 2018 and 2019, with Plough Ahead forming in 2018 to buy the pub and turn it into a community hub.

If all goes to plan, Plough Ahead is hoping the pub will be ready for a grand re-opening at the end of June.

For more information, visit: ploughinn.org