Fire-gutted pub could be bought by council

A fire-ravaged pub could be bought by a council for £200,000 after sitting empty on the high street for five years.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council is in talks with the owner of the Grade II-listed Three Tuns in Alcester, Warwickshire, over its possible purchase.

The building on High Street was badly damaged by a fire in 2021, which caused much of its roof to collapse. Scaffolding has been in place ever since, obstructing the pavement.

District councillor Tom Ballinger described the ruined pub as "a blight on our High Street".

He said the council was ready to buy the building but a deal depended on whether the owner was willing to sell to it.

"I'm really passionate about this. I want our High Street back," he said.

Valerie Bedford, a local resident, described the building as an "appalling eyesore".

The council has made £80,000 available to buy the freehold with a further £120,000 earmarked for repairs to make the building structurally safe and remove the scaffolding.

The money does not cover the full cost of restoring the historic property and bringing it back into use.

Council assessments have warned that restoration costs could "significantly exceed the value of the finished asset", raising concern among some councillors about the potential financial commitment.

The Three Tuns is housed within Talbot Cottage, which Historic England dates to the 17th Century.

No one was injured in the blaze in 2021, which was described by the fire service as "ferocious", and its cause has not been disclosed.

Ballinger said he hoped the building could eventually be put to community use, potentially as a banking hub.

The town's existing hub is at the other end of Alcester and he said it could be difficult for people with mobility problems to access it.

Robert Shred was a regular at the pub before the fire and said he remembered it for its "nice selection of beers".

"We used to come here on a Tuesday night," he said, adding that it had been his favourite pub in the town.

He said he would like to see the pub reopen but "if that's not possible, then anything is better" than its current state.

The council had considered using compulsory purchase powers before the pub was put up for auction with a guide price of £50,000. The auction was later withdrawn with auctioneers Bond Wolfe saying it was not instructed to sell the property.

The council said: "The district council is currently in direct discussions with the property owner and no agreement on a purchase price has been reached."

It said it had received "additional legal information" and was "undertaking the necessary due diligence checks".

The authority has not commented on its budget for buying and repairing the pub but confirmed the cost of fully restoring and reopening it would exceed £200,000.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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