Six years after it was closed down, the Radnor Arms Pub has been purchased by the village community in New Radnor.

The Radnor Arms Action Group was formed in 2016, three months before the pub was ordered to shut by Powys Environmental Health.

After a lot of local support, petitions, appeals, and planning, The Radnor Arms Action Group were informed in July of this year that the property of the pub would be auctioned in October.

The group finished their business plan for the purchase and refurbishment of the pub and called for a village meeting to present their plan. Having launched a pledge appeal for funds, the figure now stands at £120,000 in pledged funds.

On Thursday 21 October, the group successfully purchased the pub at an auction that took place in Old Radnor.

Chairman of the community group, Ben Asson told The Brecon & Radnor Express, “It’s brilliant, it’s one of those things you think about, and hope you can do, but the fact it was going to auction meant that we didn’t really know. There could have been someone else bidding and it could have gone out of our range, so we were absolutely delighted.

“I think it will be very important (to the village). I think the whole process of getting it back up and running, getting peopled involved with it will be great. I’m hoping local people will want to volunteer and get involved in the work, so I think it’ll be very important for the village. It’s been sitting there like a big black hole for the last six years,” said Ben.

The pub is located on the high street in New Radnor and was said to be the heartbeat of the village. Ben admitted he would like the pub to be how it was back then. He said, “I’ve known the pub since the early nineteen-eighties. I met my partner, Sally, in New Radnor and we used to meet at the pub when I was about 18 years old. It was always a very busy, lively pub.

“There was always a good mixture of folk in there. Towards the end it was busy despite the fact it was falling to bits.”

Many locals gathered outside of the pub on Saturday morning to celebrate the purchase of the Radnor Arms.

The action group have now set up a Community Benefit Society based on the Plunkett Foundation Model Rules, called The Radnor Arms Ltd. which will own and manage the business. They have also received help and business advice granted from The Plunkett Foundation. The group plan to broaden their fund raising with a Crowd Funding exercise, and will also be making applications to The National Lottery Community Fund and the Government run Community Ownership Fund amongst others.

The group have said, “We have a strong 15+ committee including local trades folk and we intend to make a start on refurbing as soon as possible. We would like to have a bar open at the Radnor by Christmas, if not before.”

More information is available on their website http://www.radnor-arms.org