Houses scheme submitted after failed community pub attempt

Bruce Sinclair – Local Democracy Reporter

Hopes a closed inn could become the latest community pub in its county have been dashed after a lack of funds were raised.

Earlier this year, The Parsonage Inn, St Florence in south Pembrokeshire closed its doors to the public.

A meeting called at the behest of St Florence Community Council was held in early February with hopes it could be run as a community venture.

The last 20 years has seen eight tenants, with the closure coming about “due to the prolonged and sustained pressures faced to both the economy though the cost-of-living crisis with less trade, along with increases in utility, food and alcohol bills, as well as increases in business rates, minimum wage increases and further legislation on waste disposal”.

‘Realism’

Local county councillor Rhys Jordan, who supported the meeting, said there was a strong desire to see The Parsonage Inn reopen its doors, but there was a need to temper enthusiasm with realism.

However, hopes the Parsonage would become a community pub have come to no avail, as just three per cent of the funds needed were raised.

Owner Daniel Scriven is now hoping, in a recently submitted application, to turn the pub into two homes instead.

Referring to the hopes The Parsonage could become a community pub, an application before Pembrokeshire planners says: “Following its closure in January 2024 a community meeting was held on February 5 in the village hall to discuss its future, during the meeting the challenges facing the hospitality industry were discussed and the community reviewed raising funds to take the Parsonage Inn into community ownership.

“Regrettably we understand following the meeting it has become evident that only three per cent fundraising of the asking price has been raised and no offer or approach to the applicant/owner has been made by the community to the owner to put forward a viable proposal, it would therefore appear unviable.

“Following its closure in January 2024, in March 2024 the final tenant along with some members of the community have opened a small community social club in the village hall during evenings on a more ad-hoc basis which would appear more reflective in scale and usage to the community it serves, alongside The [nearby] Sun Inn.”

The application will be decided by county planners at a later date.

Community pubs have become something of a Pembrokeshire story, with the Tafarn Sinc, Rosebush becoming community-owned after a huge fund-raising effort that attracted worldwide interest – including support from Hollywood star Rhys Ifans.

Other community pubs include The Cross Inn, Hayscastle, and the Tafarn Crymych Arms, Crymych, where volunteers raised more than £200,000 to buy the pub.