Hull's New Clarence pub gets £300k government grant

The New Clarence pub in Hull city centre closed in 2023

A group campaigning to reopen a Hull pub has received £300,000 from the government.

The New Clarence in the city centre shut in 2023 with plans to turn it into flats rejected.

Hull Community Pub Society (HCPS) is fundraising to turn it into a community-owned pub.

HCPS chairman Simon Berry said the Community Ownership Fund (COF) grant would help "do the renovation and everything else needed for the pub".

The group has been selling shares in the not-for-profit pub and has raised £110,000 of its £150,000 target.

It has one week left to raise the remaining money.

"Our vision is to save the New Clarence in that area and become Hull's first community-owned pub, offering social support and creative space for anyone in Hull for generations to come," Mr Berry said.

"We want something there for many years and we want it to be community-owned, community-focused and a space for everyone."

'Important lifeline'

Support has come from Hull-born comedian Lucy Beaumont, who has urged people to back the scheme.

Mr Berry said she had promised to buy shares and also offered to perform a fundraising gig if the community takeover succeeds.

The COF money is part of £3.3m announced by the government for projects across Yorkshire.

Levelling Up Minister Jacob Young said: "We know how much these vital community assets mean to people across the country. They are an important lifeline for people young and old, and they're the beating heart of our towns, cities and villages.

"That's why we're stepping in to protect them with a major rescue package, so we stop these great establishments closing or being lost forever and ensure that they continue to sit at the heart of our beloved communities."