11/06/2026
The Blue Bell – Are you interested in creating a Community Pub?
We recently attended the East Drayton Village Hall Committee AGM at the village hall and shared our initial thoughts on some possibilities for The Blue Bell Inn for the future with the committee. We really do want the pub to be open and trading and have over the last 20 years been invested in that.
The pub has been a central part of village life in East Drayton for well over 200 years and we would love that to continue. At this stage we have decided that we will not be putting the pub back up for lease, it is now up for sale and will unfortunately remain closed until it is sold, with the ultimate possibility that it will be boarded up to keep it secure.
However, we do think that:
• A village inn adds value for the villagers and provides a local meeting place
• Having the resource of a pub within the village not only adds value to the village but also adds value to homes within the village
• It is worth noting that 44% of independents fail when attempting to run a pub – that translates to 99% success rate for a community pub where like-minded individuals are invested in and supportive of a community pub
• Grants are available from the local council to start a community pub - £100k maximum with £50k as a grant and £50k as a low interest loan, which the pub would pay back once trading
• Additional grants of £6k are available to add resources like a village shop, utilising it as a café in the daytime, a post office for example (there is space back of house at The Blue Bell for all of these)
• The pub has been valued at £250k plus VAT by Brown & Co, with a reserve of £200k at auction (plus costs) – it is currently being marketed at £200k for sale with Silcock & Partners
• There is 2/3 bedroom accommodation upstairs, plus a full kitchen and bathroom which would be suitable for a live in Manager or Chef or indeed able to rent out separately.
• A Community Pub would require a committee of like-minded investors, each one having an equal say, irrespective of % of ownership, in how the pub is run and which direction it is taken, meeting the needs of the village.
• If a grant was approved, realistically for those who invest, your £100k investment (plus Vat which can immediately be reclaimed) has just doubled with a possible £50k grant and £50k loan – the risks are reduced and your opportunity to succeed is increased
• If the business failed, the premises is worth far more as a house – your investment may then be worth more than you started out with as a pub and as it is villagers who are invested in it, would be more likely to be approved for a change of use
We plan to promote the same message at the next local Village Council Meeting in July and will then follow up with a meeting actually at The Blue Bell Inn on Sunday 26th July at 3pm to see if there are any people within the village who are keen to see the pub open and trading and are willing to invest their money and time into making it work, offering the facilities at The Blue Bell to meet the needs of the village.
It’s a simple question – Do you want the pub open in the village or not?
