About Us
In the summer of 2022, the owners of the Old Horn applied to Richmondshire District Council for planning permission to convert the pub into two residential units. (The council later refused to grant consent – as you can read here).
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Alarmed at the prospect of losing a vital community asset, residents in Spennithorne and Harmby mobilised to campaign to keep the Old Horn open as a pub. A small committee was formed to co-ordinate the campaign. A door-knocking and leafleting operation in the two villages led to the submission of scores of objections to the planning application, and pledges of support for a community buy-out.
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The Plunkett Foundation (more here) was approached, and agreed to assist in the campaign. Local councillors from both Richmondshire and North Yorkshire County Councils leant their support. And a public meeting filled Harmby village hall to capacity.
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The Society commissioned an independent valuation of the property, and negotiations are now under way to agree a mutually-acceptable sale price.
In the meantime, the Old Horn has been registered as an Asset of Community Value, providing the Society with a degree of security while it sets about raising the funding necessary for purchase and renovation.
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