VILLAGERS near York are jubilant after securing the future of their community’s last remaining pub.

A new tenant has moved into the Rose and Crown in Sutton-on-the-Forest, and people in the village hope this means their much-loved pub is there to stay.

The fight to save the pub has been going on for more than a year, and has seen a Community Interest Company (CIC) formed in the village raise £30,000 to help a former member of staff reopen the Rose and Crown.

The pub is due to reopen at 5pm on Friday, with Collette Willetts at the helm.

CIC chairman John Lister said: “There’s a tremendous amount of work still to be done but, all being well, Collette will re-open the “Rose and Crown” at 5pm on Friday.

“With support from Collette’s fiancé Tom and her brother Neil as head chef there will be great ‘family business’ support in the pub.”

A threat first loomed over the pub in November 2015, when it closed only a year after the village’s other pub the Blackwell Ox had stopped trading.

Sutton resident David Brown formed the “Friends of the Rose and Crown” to fight for the pub’s survival, and the parish council pitched in applying for the pub to be listed as an Asset of Community Value. Shortly afterwards the CIC was formed.

York Press:

The campaigners saw a “false dawn” in March 2016, when previous owner took a lease on the pub, but the tenant left suddenly in October.

Mr Lister added: “Suddenly, we were back to square one.

“We were doubtful of our chances of raising enough money to buy the freehold and, with so many other pubs on the market in North Yorkshire, there was little interest from anyone else.

“So, we were really grateful when Collette Willetts came forward as a prospective tenant. Collette used to work in the pub and had set her heart on returning either as a tenant or as the owner. However, she had just sunk all her capital into “Beautopia” in Gillygate so she needed help to buy the lease and help with working capital.”

Collette and the CIC drew up a plan for the pub and shared it at a public meeting - which resulted in the village raising more £30,000.

“In effect, the community saw a line in the sand – on one side was a suburb to the north of York and on the other was a strong village community,” John added. Many people have helped save the pub, John said, including David Brown and Maurice Jones who set up the Friends of the Rose and Crown, the parish council, Mark Raven, Anthony Chappell, Paddy Harrop, Grace Nodes and Michael Kitchen at the CIC, and people from Huby and Stillington who saved their shops.