It won’t be a merry Christmas for The Miners Arms Community Pub Ltd after their bid to buy the Miners Arms in Nenthead was unsuccessful.

The group were brought together after the village pub closed in 2020 after nearly 200 year of service.

Residents of Nenthead came together and formed a Community Benefit Society known as the Miners Arms Community Pub Ltd to purchase, refurbish, and operate the community owned pub.

Over 240 people have bought shares in the group so that this wish could become a reality. 

They received an announcement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government to say the outcome of the grant application to the Community Ownership Fund was unsuccessful.

Simon Walker, Chair of the Miners Arms Community Pub Limited said: “We are saddened that our bid was unsuccessful, all our planning hinged on this grant.

“The project had no viable alternative plan, and we regret that the dream of returning the Miners Arms to its former glory is now in ashes.”

The Board will now start the process of winding up the Community Benefit Society and return our shareholders investments.

“The Board would like to thank everyone for their support over the last 16 months as we tried to bring the Miners Arms back to the heart of the village” Simon added.

Under the Conservative administration the Community Ownership Fund was introduced under the oversight of the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities.

This fund was created to allow community groups to bid for funding to help purchase and operate community assets.

Christmas for The Miners Arms Community Pub Ltd submitted its bid into Community Ownership Fund fourth round of applications in April 2024 with the hope that a decision on the funding would be made by the end of June 2024.

Unfortunately, the early General Election called in May brought all government functions to a halt and we were left hanging until Parliament could re-convene after July.