Web design © Graeme de Lande Long. Terms & Conditions.
Community Website
Scaynes Hill Village
What does this registration mean?
Well, for the next 5 years, if the owner of the pub wishes to sell it, MSDC must be advised and no sale can proceed until the community have been given the opportunity to bid for the property. The community, via the Parish Council, have 6 weeks to register an interest in the purchase and then an overall total of 6 months to make a bid. Such a bid does not have to be accepted by the owner, who after the 6 month period may sell to the highest bidder but there would be a 6 month delay in any sale, if this process was followed.
More details of the whole process can be found at https://mycommunity.org.uk/resources/
Have a read and if you want to keep the Inn on the Green as a local asset, whether as a pub or perhaps also as a village shop, keep the above in the back of your mind for future reference, just in case.
During the Lindfield and Lindfield Rural Neighbourhood Plan consultation process of public exhibitions and discussions, it was obvious that a large proportion of the Scaynes Hill community regarded the Inn on the Green public house as an important asset to the village. The rapid turnover of the tenant landlords was disturbing to the community and fears were expressed that at some point, the owners might decide to close the pub and sell it, perhaps to make way for housing.
Further investigation by the Parish Council has found that the Neighbourhood Plan process is not able to protect such a building from either change of use or destruction. However, the Localism Act 2011, which came into effect in the Autumn 2012, does provide a means whereby a community may at least have the opportunity to control the future of such a building. Such protection is obtained by registering the building as an 'Asset of Community Value' with the local Planning Authority (Mid Sussex District Council, MSDC). Lindfield Rural Parish Council has now taken the necessary action to so register the Inn on the Green public house.
Whilst there was a desire for additional housing within the village, especially to cater for younger families or the elderly wishing to downsize, the loss of the only village-centre pub, which has been in existence since 1751, was considered a 'step too far'.
Asset of Community Value
26-Oct-14 posted by Andy Spooner on behalf of LRPC
