North Yorkshire village pub gains community asset status

The Three Hares Inn in Bilbrough, between York and Tadcaster, has been at the centre of a planning row since owners, the Wellington Pub Company, applied to turn it into a family home.

The planning application was rejected by North Yorkshire Council and a Planning Inspector also threw out the owner’s appeal.

The pub has now been added to the council’s register of assets of community value after an application was submitted by Bilbrough Parish Council.

The pub had previously been included on the community assets register held by Selby District Council, but this expired in July.

A previous application for the building to be added to North Yorkshire Council’s register was rejected earlier this year.

The pub closed in 2023 but the venue previously had an “outstanding reputation for its food and hospitality”, according to the parish council in its most recent application.

It said: “This historic success and acclaim is obviously a source of great local pride, with residents and their friends and families also benefiting from a destination pub to which they didn’t have to travel.

“Indeed, the community was able to enjoy the last landlady’s excellent food right up to the pub’s final day of trading.”

The parish council said the pub had been a village hub for many years, hosting numerous community events including quizzes, meetings, funerals and live music nights.

As well as being well used by villagers, it was popular with cyclists during the day and students from nearby Askham Bryan College.

The pub is currently being marketed to potential leaseholders, while the parish council said a villager had submitted a bid to take on the freehold.

The application added: “What the near future holds for The Three Hares will be largely and obviously determined by the actions of the current owners.

“What is not in doubt is the community’s conviction that the pub has huge social and commercial potential under any committed and progressive stewardship.

“The community has shown demonstrable support for the next operator, be that a new tenant or a new owner.

“We cannot be sure if the current owners are still making a genuine attempt to attract a tenant, but we sincerely hope this is the case.”

The parish council submitted 53 statements from local residents in support of the application.

The owner of the pub objected to the bid, claiming the nomination did not meet the legal criteria for listing and “appears to be an attempt to block redevelopment rather than preserve a genuine community asset”.

But council officers concluded that the application did meet the criteria.

Their report stated: “There is strong community interest in retaining the pub’s use, and evidence suggests future community use remains a realistic option despite failed attempts to secure a tenant.

“A lease is still available, an offer to purchase was made but not progressed, and comments from a planning inspector were referenced concerning the lack of proof of commercial non-viability and the potential for alternative ownership or reconfiguration.”

Officers added that it was realistic to think that within the next five years, the building could be used in a way that furthers the social well-being or social interests of the local community.

The pub’s inclusion on the register means the community would have the chance to make an offer if the pub was put up for sale.