CAMPAIGNERS hoping to keep a historic Hyde pub out of the hands of developers remain confident of achieving their aim.
That is despite it appearing on the open market and claims it has been sold subject to contract.
An initial deadline of securing Godley Hall Inn as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) may have passed, but people have responded to a call to take up community shares by pledging more than £15,000.
That offer has now been extended until February 5.
And the Save Godley Hall Inn group also has grants lined up and further funds on the verge of being agreed as it wants to buy the 200-year-old property.
Now it hopes to get everything in place, with campaigner Alex Dempsey outlining the progress so far.
He said: “We’re going really well and have secured a conditional offer of a £50,000 grant from The Plunkett Foundation and have a couple more submissions in for extra funding, one for a £50,000 loan and another for a community shares booster, which matches up to £100,000 in funding.
“In principle, we need to raise £275,000 and £300,000 to secure the pub and we’ve made great strides towards it.
“The lowest amount we’d need to raise is £87,000 from community shares funding, assuming both applications are approved. We’re pretty confident.”
Even though the deadline to secure Godley Hall as an ACV passed, it is hoped the group can work with owner Mike Radcliffe, even though it appears to have gone on the open market again.
Estate agents Fleurets list it on their website as ‘Sold STC’ and agent Lesley Watmough told The Correspondent: “I act on behalf of a private client who does not wish to provide information.”
And Alex admitted much of what happens is down to what the owner wants to do.
He added: “I believe it will go on the market. We made inroads into getting first refusal but at the end of the day it’s the current owner’s decision whether to sell it or not.
“We can’t control his decision making. What we have done is approach him to say, ‘This is our proposal.’
“Hopefully that leads to an agreement from him that says, ‘If you achieve these milestones, we’ll agree with you.’
“But we need to raise as much awareness about the community shares as possible.
“We’ve worked hard enough for long enough and we’ve achieved in five-and-a-half months what a lot of groups haven’t in five or 10 years.”
Landlord and landlady Alan and Sue Hanson were told they had 12 weeks to leave after 18 years’ service as the pub was put up for sale.
That raised fears it would be bought by a developer, leading to the group which hopes to keep it for the Godley community.
*IF you are interested in getting involved, contact the Save Godley Hall Inn group at www.savegodleyhall.co.uk.