Yearly Archives: 2022

In our recent updates we informed you that a number of offers had been made to the owner for the purchase of the Golden Lion, regrettably these have all been flatly rejected. Over the last 12 months we have been working closely with Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) and we have had a jointly procured valuation completed by Avison Young. This was completed in the late Summer.

CWaC have now formally written to the owner referencing the output of this new valuation and clearly stating that this would be the starting point for the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) process. The owner is also actively encouraged to begin formal sale negotiations with the community.

We very much hope the owner will see that his options for any other form of action are rapidly narrowing and that he takes up the offer to begin meaningful dialogue with us in the near future.

We are aware that the CPO process can be a protracted one and have reiterated our willingness to engage and to enter into mediation on numerous occasions. We remain fully committed and prepared to acquire the property for the long-term benefit of our community by either route.

We will of course keep you informed of any further progress as it happens.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Ashton Hayes Community Hub Committee

https://goldenlionashtonhayes.co.uk
goldenlionashtonhayes@btinternet.com
facebook.com/TheGoldenLionAshtonHayes

The Ashton Hayes Community Hub Committee have been busy despite restrictions caused by the pandemic for another year.

The Golden Lion was relisted as an ACV on the 29^th April 2021 and the subsequent moratorium was triggered and ran its course concluding 6 months later. A formal offer of £342,000 was submitted under the moratorium via the then selling agents Wright Marshall. The owner within the same week then de-instructed Wright Marshall and appointed a new agent in BA Commercial of Chester. Our formal offer was then resubmitted to BA Commercial.

Following a Sandstone ‘Ward Walk’ in 2021 with the CEO of CWaC, Andrew Lewis, on which one of the issues discussed was the Golden Lion, a specific point of contact in the Deputy Chief Executive, Communities, Environment, Economy was arranged to oversee CWaC’s role in the project.

A number of constructive and supportive meetings with CWaC have followed. Cheshire West and Chester Council have now revisited our request for a Compulsory Purchase Order on the pub and have now formally agreed to pursue a CPO if no other sale agreement can be reached with the owner.

This has allowed the CBS to formally request a meeting with the new agents selling the Golden Lion (BA Commercial) on behalf of the owner and quoting the fact that a CPO is now a publicly confirmed option to acquire the pub for community ownership and use. We are currently awaiting a response to this request.

In relation to funding, a submission to Central Government’s Community Ownership Fund (COF) was submitted late in 2021. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful, and the second round of applications has been rescheduled whilst the fund undergoes a review of the criteria applicants should fulfil as many others were also unsuccessful in the first round of bids. We have been encouraged to apply again when the next round of funding is opened and bids are able to be submitted. This fund has the potential to grant up to £250,000 for projects wishing to retain community assets such as village pubs.

The 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.