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Roger Pinder, Kingsbridge’s town crier and former landlord of The Loddiswell Inn, held a meeting in May 2023 which was attended by over a hundred locals all keen to save the pub. It quickly became clear that the community needs and wants a friendly local where they can meet friends and enjoy locally sourced food and drink.
Now that the pub has been granted the status of Asset of Community Value, we have a six-month period to raise money to buy the freehold of the pub. We will be holding numerous village update meetings where we will endeavour to raise funds. Once our share offer has been launched, everyone will be able to apply to buy shares and become a member of the Community Benefit Society. We also plan to ensure that the pub is refurbished in an environmentally sustainable way, from looking into green energy technology such as solar panels and making sure that the building is well insulated, to using local producers and supplies to reduce our carbon footprint.
We are busy applying for funding from numerous sources, and already have the support of Loddiswell Parish Council, South Hams District Council, and Devon County Council. We have been very fortunate to be supported by The Loddiswell Playing Fields and Village Hall Trust who let us use the village hall whilst the pub is closed for various fundraising events, plus Heron Valley, Salcombe Brewery, South Hams Brewery, The Spar and Loddiswell Village News. Our mission would not be possible without the support of these fantastic businesses.
We envisage that once we have purchased the pub, the community will be instrumental in the refurbishment of the pub, and once open, will provide locals with employment opportunities as the pub will be run by paid staff, not volunteers.
Our goal for the pub is that it will become a central village hub, offering food and drink throughout the day and into the evening, providing a safe and warm place for anyone who is feeling isolated or cold, and will have space available for local community groups to meet. We also hope for there to be facilities for health and well-being services such as chiropodist, district nurse, and prescription pick up. With the threatened loss of our mobile library, we have the opportunity to create a village library. We hope to be able to offer fair rent accommodation as there are two flats within the pub. During the tourist season we anticipate providing holiday makers with the quintessential village pub experience, offering food and drink produced within a very small radius, championing local suppliers.