Duke to seek new tenant

The pub co owners of the Duke of Wellington have decided not to sell the pub yet but to advertise on their website for a new tenant.

The move follows an earlier conversation between the Chairman of the Parish Council and a Stonegate manager on site.

It remains to be seen how long it takes for interested parties to apply, be vetted and in place.

Before Christmas, Stonegate told Sir Alec Shelbrooke MP that they intended to sell the pub. Sir Alec contacted East Keswick Parish Council as he knew – and Stonegate knew – we had an Asset of Community Value Order on the pub. This ACV means that if the owners announce they are selling then the Parish Council has to be notified. The Parish Council then has four weeks to trigger the powers in the ACV which would give the community a six month period to raise a bid and no one else could buy in that period.

None of this means that the pub company have to sell to the Parish Council but EKPC has well developed contingency plans to raise a bid and would activate these immediately the pub went on sale

For the immediate future though, it looks like Stonegate want to find a new tenant, so the contingency plans remain just that.