Bid to buy Leicestershire pub boosted by government funding

The Black Horse shut in January 2020, but an offer has been made to buy the pub

Villagers are hoping to be able to raise a glass at a local pub as a bid to buy the business was boosted.

The Black Horse in Grimston, near Melton Mowbray, closed in January 2020, but 178 people have since invested between £50 to £20,000 in a community company to take over the site.

They then applied to the government's Community Ownership Fund for matched funding for the project, and received £245,395 just before Christmas.

An offer to buy the pub has been made.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service says if the offer is accepted by the current owners - who have twice failed to get planning permission to change the use of the building - the community group intends to lease the pub to a tenant who can reopen it.

The Black Horse has been serving residents for about 400 years, with the earliest surviving licence records of the pub dating back to 1753.

'Community spirit'

It was listed as a local community asset by Melton Borough Council and a tribunal judge in 2021.

Mike Petty, chairman of The Black Horse Community Group Ltd, said: "We are very grateful for having this great opportunity to secure The Black Horse pub for this and future generations."

Alicia Kearns, MP for Rutland and Melton, added: "I know how much this 400-year-old pub means to the community as a whole and the surrounding villages.

"I would like to congratulate the group for all their hard work and community spirit that has made this possible."