| A new nomination has been submitted for the whole of the Henry Jenkins to be relisted as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).
The pub was listed as an Asset of Community Value in July, 2017, following a long campaign by HJCC , demonstrating that the pub has been a hub of the local community for at least 190 years – and that many local people and community groups would like to use it again.
Earlier this year Mr Fielder sold off part of the pub to an associate – the part that he’s now trying to downgrade as residential. Because of a loophole in the Localism Act, it appears that when part of an ACV is sold, that part may have to be delisted … and this is what Harrogate Borough Council have done.
Now HJCC have formally applied for this part of the pub to be relisted. We argue that the fact that this part has been sold off is irrelevant: The pub in its entirety remains an important community asset for all the reasons set out in our original nomination. If anything the case for protecting it has now become even stronger – as more and more local people have backed plans for a community buyout. This is supported by the recent dismissal of an appeal by Mr Fielder against refusal of his original planning application to demolish the pub. In his letter of dismissal, the Government Inspector stated: “What the work of the HJCC shows … in the shape of the level of interest, the money that has been committed and the initial national funding secured is that there is not only a clear demand and strong willingness to re-use the HJ for community purposes but also the proverbial money being put where the mouth is.” He added that he saw no reason why a regenerated Henry Jenkins could not co-exit beside the Mechanics Institute (something HJCC has always maintained). |
