Residents are campaigning to buy and preserve the history of a much-loved pub, which is now the “last one standing”.
The Black Horse in Tumblefield Road, Stansted, was once a thriving village boozer but has been closed for more than nine months.
Resident Tom Sheldon says his parents moved to the village in 1954.
“When you’ve got the privilege of living in this area, you realise the value of community,” the 72-year-old explained.
“You lose the village shop, then the pub and perhaps the school – it’s like you are ripping the heart out of it.
“It’s happening all over the place, isn’t it? I think this is why we feel so passionate about it.”
The two-acre site is understood to have been a pub from 1833 and was once owned by the Fremlin family, who later became the Maidstone brewers.
It was said to have been a fairly successful business; however, following Covid and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the building closed to the public in October last year.
At one stage, it had B&B rooms on the second floor, as well as a manager’s annexe. On the ground floor was a small restaurant that seated around 30 to 40 covers.
Anna Epps lives along from the pub and has been a part of the village for the last 13 years.
The 41-year-old said: “I think the shared feeling was sadness, that there isn’t that hub or community anymore.
“We’ve got the village hall, but it’s not open all the time. The pub is a place where people can congregate.
“We’ve lost it and there hasn’t been a replacement.”
Four other remaining drinking spots in the area – including the Vigo Inn, Horse & Groom, Anchor & Hope and The Green Man – have also closed down. Plans have been approved to replace the latter with a new pub following it’s destruction in a blaze back in 2021.
Tom believes The Black Horse is the “last one standing”.
Both residents make up the Stansted and Fairseat Community Group (SFCG), a committee of ten members aiming to become a Community Benefit Society (CBS).
It is a type of not-for-profit business model that is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority. You can apply for grants to buy a local asset and allow people to own a share.
The Harrow at Stockbury is a successful example of a community-run pub.
Residents first got together in 2016, when Shepherd Neame announced it wanted to dispose of the site, with the likelihood it would be turned into housing.
The village formed a CBS and sold shares to raise enough money, with the help of a small mortgage, to buy the pub from the brewers.
In November, the Stansted Parish Council held a public meeting and was seeking volunteers who would be willing to save the establishment.
Since then, they have met monthly to discuss what steps they should take. At a recent “pop-up pub” event, more than 150 people attended.
An additional 100 signs and banners have been put up across Stansted and the surrounding villages – aiming to send a clear message to any potential developers.
Anna added: “We want to actively campaign to protect The Black Horse as a fully functioning food-led pub.
“This would allow us to keep the landmarks in our village for the next generation. I think that’s really important.”
In the daytime, they would want it to become a café – offering coffee, tea and refreshments to walkers and cyclists who use the footpaths and cycling routes.
It will also be a social hub and would be home to several clubs and societies if needed.
Tom, a retired charter surveyor, admitted running a pub “isn’t for the faint-hearted”.
Owners of the pub say the venue hasn’t been profitable “for some time”, with rising energy bills and staff wages to blame. However, they are open to offers from the community.
Anna believes her team have done their research and have pulled a business plan together.
“As a CBS, we’re not in it to make loads of money,” she explained. “That takes the pressure off a bit.
“We just need to break even – a small profit each year that we can reinvest back into the building.
“We’re very confident that we could run it in that way. Of course it’s hard. Even running a profitable pub as a private individual is tough. You need a good reputation.”
In January, the group managed to secure Asset of Community Value (ACV) status for both the pub and the surrounding land.
This means residents will be informed if it goes on the market within a five-year listing period.
They can then enact the “community right to bid”, which gives them six months to determine if they can raise funds to purchase the asset.
The pub is currently owned by Danny Jarvis and Victoria Collier, with the committee reiterating that they’d like to maintain an “open and constructive dialogue” with them.
“The owner does not have to sell to us, but we would love them to,” Anna said.
“We’ve been communicating back and forth. We have put an offer in for the pub that has been rejected.
“We’re seeking to pay a fair price for the freehold in line with its market value.”
According to The Move Market, the site sold in 2022 for £495,000, with the average price of a property along the road being £702,000.
Pub owner Victoria told KentOnline they sadly had to close due to “financial difficulties”.
She said: “I bought it in 2022 after selling my family home, relocating my family to Stansted with the hope of creating a sustainable business and building a future here for my children.
“Unfortunately, the pub hadn’t been profitable for some time, but I put everything into trying to turn it around.
“I kept on all existing staff – including the cleaner who had worked for two previous landlords – and retained the lunchtime team for as long as possible.
“When I could no longer afford to keep that role, I offered evening shifts instead, which were declined.
“I made every effort to support the local community: I donated beer and vouchers for village events, hosted monthly charity quiz nights with free food and drink for the organiser, even though he didn’t support the pub outside of this event and I regularly paid a local band to play.
“As a result of the closure, I am now in substantial debt and need to recover my investment in order to secure a home for my family”
“We ran live music nights, locals’ discounts, weekend breakfasts, curry nights, steak deals and more to generate interest.”
But despite these efforts she says the level of support “simply wasn’t enough”.
Rising energy bills, staff wages and the National Insurance hike have also made the situation unsustainable.
“As a result of the closure, I am now in substantial debt and need to recover my investment in order to secure a home for my family,” Victoria added.
“Unfortunately an offer received by the community was unacceptable.
“Plans are being submitted for a smaller, more manageable pub as part of a wider development. If there is genuine interest from the community, they are of course welcome to put forward an offer.
“With over seven pubs closing every week in the UK, it would be a shame for this one to be lost too – but I also have to do what’s right for my family’s future.”
