Telford pub on market for £295k after owners move out following dispute
A pub that's owners were forced to move out over a usage dispute is up for sale.
Residents of High Ercall in Telford may soon have somewhere to drink as the Cleveland Arms has been put on the market by estate agent James A Baker for £295,000.
It was the village's only pub until it closed in January 2016.
Owners John Hickinbottom and Susan King were given six months to reinstate the pub, which is listed as an asset community value in Telford & Wrekin's Local Plan, in December 2018.
The pair moved out in June this year after spending more than £300,000 refurbishing the building in an attempt to reopen it, but said a further £1 million would be needed to bring the pub back up to standard.
Ercall Manga Parish Council said it wanted the building back into community use as soon as possible and registered an interest of a Government public works loan, but said it needed to fully evaluate the premises before it can move forward.
On Wednesday, the council met with the village community group, the Cleveland Phoenix Charity, which is now working with the council to take ownership of the pub.
Vice chairman of the council, councillor Kevin Connor, said the council and community are working to reopen the premises in the best interests of residents.
Councillor Raymond Wickson, council chair, added the two groups were hoping to receive support from the Plunkett Foundation, which provides funding and advice to groups looking to take over a pub.
He said: "The Parish Council's working group had a meeting with the Phoenix Charity and we realise we don't have the necessary expertise in this field, despite the willingness, so we've approached the Plunkett Foundation to hopefully use their expertise to purchase and reopen the pub.
"The Phoenix Charity is being encouraged to take to the lead and will hopefully be the eventual management of the community asset and so they're the ones that are going to make approaches to the foundation for support."
Situated on Shrewsbury Road, the pub has a car park for about 30 vehicles and sits on a site of about 0.41 acres of land.
