Dismay as village pub funding bid fails

Dismay, anger and disappointment surround the government's decision not to fund a project to bring a historic village pub back to life.

Situated at the heart of the North Pennines village of Nenthead, Cumbria, The Miners Arms served its community for nearly 200 years before closing in 2020.

It was hoped a £360,000 bid for government funding would boost supporters' efforts to save the remote pub, but the application was turned down with only feedback offered.

Simon Walker, chair of the Miners Arms Community Pub Ltd (MACPL),described some of the reasons for refusal as "totally spurious".

Mr Walker said he felt "disappointed, dismayed, angry, befuddled and bemused" over the government's decision and said the group currently saw no possibility of raising enough money to reopen the pub.

"We really explored every possible avenue prior to this," he said.

"With the 200th anniversary of the creation of the village coming up next year and the 200th anniversary of the known trading of the Miners Arms in 2027, it will be without a pub that the villagers of Nenthead celebrate their bicentenary."

The government said unsuccessful applicants to its Community Ownership Fund would be provided with feedback to enable them to update business plans and apply for other sources of funding.

According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, every bid which met the minimum scoring criteria for a grant was funded.

Earlier this year, MACPL began a share offer to reach £95,000 and exceeded that target by raising more than £100,000 in less than a month.

The effort to breathe new life back into the facility was supported by people across the world, with hundreds applying for shares.

Some investors donated to a "pay it forward" scheme that allowed anyone in the village to apply for shares even if their own financial situation meant they could not buy their own.

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