COLD NORTON: Villagers muck in to run "people's pub"

By aleys

TWO years after the last pint was pulled at The Norton pub, it is to reopen as a community pub with an army of villagers to run it.

Back in April the Chronicle reported how developers had submitted plans to Maldon District Council to create a shop, flats and houses on the site off Latchingdon Road.

But the proposals were turned down by the council, after concerns from residents and a petition.

The viability of running the pub as a community venture was put forward but gained momentum when villagers were headhunted by documentary makers for UKTV to feature in a series called The People's Pub.

Together with expert landlord, Jay Smith, the programme offers members of the community the chance to muck in and save their favourite local drinking establishment.

He said: "This is a serious venture – not just a TV series, which will offer communities a real opportunity to restore their pub.

"We will challenge local people to revive the heart of their community."

Cold Norton Parish councillor Paul Guppy said: "They have convinced the landlord to gives us a shot, which is fantastic.

"We have had an amazing response from residents and 70 to 80 people have come forward to say they want to be physically involved in running it.

"We have had a health and safety assessment carried out and it has all spiralled from there.

"This project has got the whole community behind it and if we can't make it work then no-one can."

Resident Helen Circum, who has been behind the project, said: "The TV company have put money in to get us started and we are going to start getting the garden tidied up.

"We just want a community space which will benefit us long term."

She said a meeting to elect a committee, which will be filmed for the show, was due to be finalised at last night's meeting at the village hall.