SELBORNE’S ’Save The Queens’ community interest group has expressed deep disappointment over East Hampshire District Council’s (EHDC) decision to withdraw asset of community value status from the pub.

Granted by EHDC in February this year, the status was challenged by current owners Derek Warwick Developments (trading as 221 Holdings) and, following a hearing on April 25, according to the Save The Queen’s group the battle to retain the pub as a community asset has been lost.

While unhappy news for some the decision has been welcomed by Guy Macklin, of 221, who confirmed that asset of community value status had indeed been lifted at 5pm last Friday, paving the way for the company to submit a revised application on the site.

Speaking on behalf of the community interest group, villager Terry Cartwright said: “We are extremely disappointed with the removal of the asset of community value designation for our local pub, The Queens. We believe the review judgment is flawed, misunderstands what constitutes the test of a community asset, is not in line with asset of community value legislation, or supportive of local democratic processes.”

Save the Queens spokesman Caroline Rye was confused by the decision, pointing out that while the decision to withdraw the asset of community value status appears to have been made on the assumption that the community interest group would not be able to afford to buy and run the pub within the five-year time frame set up for the asset of community value, this had been based on an asking price “north of £1.2m”, reflective of its potential residential market value rather than on its current value as a pub.

Despite interest over the past two years, and the fact that the site has not got change of use to residential status and is still classed as a pub, no-one, she said, had seen fit to buy on that basis.

While she could understand that the owner would want to challenge asset of community value status because it would in effect devalue his asset, the decision by EHDC had set a dangerous precedent which, she believes, will give the wrong message to developers that they can over-value the property and deter communities from attempting to protect valued assets like The Queens from being lost to housing.

While it is the community interest group who had taken over the reins to move the project forward, it was the parish council who were awarded asset of community value status on the pub and who were forced to defend the challenge, and councillors too were said to be “hugely disappointed” by the outcome.

It was due to be a matter for discussion at Wednesday’s annual parish meeting.

A hearing was held on April 25 to determine whether The Queens in Selborne should retain its community asset status.

In a statement, a spokesman for EHDC confirmed that at the appeal EHDC had considered evidence from the parish council, the property owner and from the newly-formed Save The Queens group.

In reaching the decision, the council had “taken account of the fact there is some community support to return The Queens into a pub”.

“However, there is no business plan to achieve this, no funding or plans to raise funding in place and no experience in running a pub among the group,” said a council spokesman.

And the spokesman added: “For a building to be considered an asset of community value, there must be a reasonable chance that it will be used to further the social well-being of the community within five years.

“Having listened to all the evidence presented it is not considered realistic to think that in the next five years the building will be returned to use as a public house.”

Speaking on behalf of 221, Guy Macklin confirmed that the plan now was to restore all the building of quality and remove anything that was of a sub-standard nature. This would result in the provision of two family houses on the site of the barn and restaurant with the main building converted into three apartments.

The field to the rear of the property sits outside the settlement boundary and is expected to be sold off to neighbours.

Of the withdrawal of asset of community value status, while understanding of the desire to retain a piece of village history, Mr Macklin said that when 221 bought the pub two-and-a-half years ago it was run down, not just due to poor management, with the incumbents owing thousands of pounds in unpaid bills to a lot of local companies but, he claims, due to lack of support by the locals.

In his opinion, the locals should not be fighting to keep a failing pub but should be looking to support the assets they do have, in the form of the shop and The Selborne Arms, to make sure they survive.

And, he warned, while 221 was keen to retain the existing building which, while not listed, stands in the heart of the village conservation area, if it was unable to develop the site as a viable proposition it could be forced to sell to a PLC retirement provider which may not be as sympathetic to retention of the existing structure.