Regulars in battle to save 200 years of tradition at village pub

FOR more than 200 years the ‘King Bill’ pub has stood proudly on the edge of the Pennines.

But two weeks ago the King William IV, in the hamlet of Shore, in Littleborough, suddenly shut its doors, leaving locals bereft.

Now the regulars are raising the cash to buy the Rochdale pub – fearing the scenic spot could be snapped up by a housing developer and lost to the community forever.

The regulars have formed the ‘Friends of the King Bill’ group – and applied to the council for the 225-yearold pub to be listed as an ‘asset of community value’.

An ACV listing would mean the pub is protected from being demolished or converted to another use without planning permission.

And crucially it would give the group the chance to raise the £275,000 needed to buy the King Bill and then run it themselves as a co-operative, with members of the community buying shares in the business.

Friends spokesman Ron Murgatroyd said: “The King Bill has been at the heart of the community for hundreds of years.

“It would be a crying shame to see it close and become housing. It’s a beautiful old pub and an important part of the community.

“We are passionate about the place, and we are going to do all we can to save it.”

A report published earlier this year by the Plunkett Foundation, a charity that supports community-owned businesses, revealed that the number of cooperative pubs in the UK has topped 50 for the first time.

The Friends of the King Bill are planning to meet with the people behind one of those pubs, the Fox and Goose in Hebden Bridge, to get their advice on the venture.

And, if their bid is successful, Ron, 46, who met his wife Gaynor in the King Bill about 15 years ago, when her parents Roy and Jean Healey were landlord and landlady, says the pub could double up as a Post Office, shop and community centre - and could also be used as a venue for things such as mother and baby groups, yoga classes and the WI.

Ron, a satellite engineer, added: