Yearly Archives: 2021

Following the visits of our local MP, Edward Timpson and the CEO of Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC), we have had very productive meetings with our CWaC representative as we collectively move towards an agreed way forward for the acquisition of the Golden Lion.

We are currently obtaining up to date valuations of the property, taking into account the building’s continuing deterioration and changes in the hospitality market. Once we have the valuations, we will be in a position to put in a realistic offer before the moratorium ends in November.

If our offer is accepted, we intend to fund the purchase from monies obtained via the Community Ownership Fund, a Share Offer and possibly the Public Works Board.

We have recently submitted an application to the new Community Ownership Fund managed by Central Government and we should hear if we are successful within the next couple of months. Once we hear that our offer has been accepted, we will launch a Community Share Offer, if you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive a prospectus at that time, please email the committee with your details.

We were very encouraged to hear this week that both the White Horse in Church Fenton and the Rising Sun in Woodcroft have successfully been reopened as community pubs due to the hard work of their local residents and campaign groups.

The GL committee are continuing their work to return The Golden Lion back to its former glory and we will continue to keep you updated with progress as it happens. The best way to follow progress is via our Facebook page but if you would like to receive email notifications let us know and we will add you to our list.

Members of the Golden Lion committee have had several successful meetings recently.

We were very pleased to welcome our local MP, Edward Timpson to the village and to show him the Golden Lion pub, which he recalls frequenting in the past. We talked through the project timeline to date and explained the current position of having triggered the moratorium under the recently listed Asset of Community Value (ACV). Edward Timpson was clearly impressed with the successful track record the community has in many of its previous projects and was clearly willing to lend his support and encouragement to the Golden Lion project. Edward has asked to be kept abreast of the project as it moves forwards and will support us through the provision of guidance and advice based on Central Government policy and community support including the “Community Ownership Fund” announced in the last budget.

We also met with the CEO of Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) to explain the support required and the project plan for acquiring the Golden Lion. Andrew Lewis joined members of the Golden Lion committee at the pub as a scheduled stop in a “Ward Walk” with Cllr Hugo Deynem. Andrew was keen to understand the levels and areas of support that CWaC might be able to offer the project, in particular the possible role that the council might play in a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) approach to acquiring the Golden Lion for community benefit. Further meetings to specifically look at the direct support have now taken place with a dedicated point of contact within CWaC, these have been both encouraging and supportive and will continue as we build the support provided by the local authority into the long-term project plan.

Meanwhile we have been able to gain access to the Golden Lion via the selling agents to understand and take account of the ever-deteriorating condition, we have uploaded some photos to the website for information: https://goldenlionashtonhayes.co.uk/site-visit-2021/. We are now re visiting our renovation costs and business plan based on the additional works required and will be submitting a bid under the Right to Bid legislation.

The final piece of positive news is that the appeal against the listing of the Golden Lion as an Asset of Community Value, put in by the owner, has been considered and dismissed by CWaC, the notice advising of the same has also been posted at site. Click here to see the notice.