Lincoln Imp: Group preparing for Scunthorpe music venue bid

The Lincoln Imp pub and music venue in Scunthorpe has been closed since August 2022

Campaigners say they are "six to eight months" away from placing a formal bid to buy Scunthorpe's Lincoln Imp pub.

The 300-capacity music venue on Gloucester Road was closed in August 2022 after the owner, Admiral Taverns, announced plans to demolish it.

But the proposals were turned down twice by North Lincolnshire Council in 2023.

Community group representatives said they will sell shares to raise the money required for the scheme.

Lorraine Briggs, who managed the pub for eight years before its closure, said: "There's a long road ahead of us and we'll need to have some further talks but things are on the up.

"It was the only grassroots music venue is North Lincolnshire and we hosted bands from all over the world."

The pub was also home to a charity which offered young people a chance to talk about their mental health.

Ms Briggs added: "It was a brilliant community pub and it has been really missed in the local area."

Councillor Tony Gosling, of North Lincolnshire Council, told BBC Radio Humberside that he was working with a local committee to save the venue - but raised concerns that developers could appeal against the previous planning decisions.

"There was a criticism that the group didn't have momentum to save the Lincoln Imp," he said.

"It is going to take a lot of hard work and graft and we're looking at six to eight months to make a formal bid."

Admiral Taverns, who has been asked to comment on the latest situation, previously told the BBC that it was reviewing all options for the site.