A bid to protect a village’s only pub has been rejected but the venue’s new landlord said it had “a bright future anyway”.<\/p>\n
Wighill Parish Council had applied for The White Swan in Wighill, near Tadcaster, to be registered as an asset of community value, which would give villagers an opportunity to bid for the property if it was put up for sale.<\/p>\n
However, a council assessment concluded that while the pub had hosted numerous community events there was not enough evidence to demonstrate significant community use.<\/p>\n
The pub closed in June following the retirement of its former publicans and reopened earlier this month under new ownership.<\/p>\n
Landlord Tom Brown said they had taken on a long lease to secure the pub’s future.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got a good chef in the kitchen, letting bedrooms and some big plans for the place,” said Brown.<\/p>\n
“We already run several pubs in York, but this is going to be our big site. The pub is here to stay and it’s definitely not being turned into housing.”<\/p>\n
In its application in September, the parish council had described the pub as a vital social hub, pointing out that the village has no community centre, village hall or school.<\/p>\n