Gussage All Saints' Drovers Inn sold by Marston's PLC

The pub has been boarded up since November last year

The owner of a pub listed as an asset of community value has said contracts have been exchanged on the building.

Marston's PLC said it no longer owned the Drovers Inn in Gussage All Saints.

The pub, which closed last November, has been granted community asset status by East Dorset council.

Marilyn Madell, of the Save Our Drovers Inn, campaign said: "This is not the end. We are overjoyed to get the listing and are preparing a bid."

A spokeswoman for Marston's said "contracts had been exchanged" and the building was "no longer owned by the company".

Use-change proposal

A planning application has been lodged with East Dorset District Council to change the 200-year-old building from a pub in to residential accommodation.

The asset listing states that if the building were to "go on the market with a proposal for change of use and the village was to be at risk of losing the community aspect of the site" the campaigners would be able to bid for the site.

In this case, the community would have six months to raise money to buy the site, but the owner is not obliged to accept an offer.

Mrs Madell said: "The asset-listing reinforces the view that the pub is of great value to the community.

"It gives us the opportunity to press forward with the rest of the project."

If the building is sold as a public house however, the listing does not give the community an opportunity to bid to own it.

Mrs Madell said she was seeking legal advice about how campaigners can put in a bid.