Pub at heart of a village community under threat

A pub at the heart of a village community is under threat, as its rent is increased by more than 100 per cent.

The Ring O’ Bells in Compton Martin has been leased to Miles Leonard from Butcombe Brewery but after sudden changes from their landlords, the tenants feel like they have no choice but to leave the pub, which is a hub for the local community.

Miles has leased the pub and been tenants for eight-and-a-half years now, saying that he took over the pub when it was losing money for Butcombe.

Along with colleagues Matt, Luca and Fiona, the historic pub has become a space for the whole community to use.

Miles, who used to be chairman of Parlophone and Warner Brothers, has even brought the likes of Kylie Minogue, Coldplay, The Stereophonics and Paul Weller to play in the pub.

Through the course of the pandemic, Miles and his team even set up a radio station and opened a village shop.

However, this changed with a notice from Butcombe, with Miles saying: “Without any prior discussion, we were served a notice that they were taking over the pub. This came from their lawyers and not Butcombe which we felt after a eight year relationship we deserved better.

“They then told us if we wanted to stay which clearly we do we would have to agree to a rent hike from £28,000 to £65,000 and also informed us that we must also increase our annual spend with the brewery by a staggering 100 per cent plus.

“This devastating message was delivered via the post and with no round-table discussion to re-negotiate our terms.”

In response, the people of Compton Martin, located between Chew Valley Lake and Blagdon Lake, have rallied to support the pub.

The pub became a community shop during lockdown

“We have an incredible local community pub, with Miles Leonard owning the lease,” says Helena Craig, who lives in Compton Martin.

“Before Miles took over the pub lease, Butcombe Brewery had run the pub into the ground with it being on the verge of closing as everyone had stopped going.

“It had been a pub where no children or dogs were allowed and with no community links.

“Miles turned that around, tastefully redecorating it, bringing in a great menu suitable for everyone. They ran a cheese and cider fayre, fireworks, band nights, comedy nights for local charities, providing free food for the village harvest supper and much more and have been part of the community.”

The pub is a hub for the Compton Martin community

Compton Martin has no shop, no school, no amenities and with no other pub within walking distance, so the pub is an important place for the community to gather.

Helena, and many others, believe Butcombe plans to run the business into the ground, close it and then try to build houses in the large garden, converting the pub.

Butcombe has responded to village residents, who have started a petition that now stands at more than 1,800 signatures.

A Butcombe spokesperson said: “In this specific instance Butcombe Brewing Co (Butcombe) has made every effort to support the operators of the Ring O’ Bells to be successful.

“But, unfortunately, this has not been the case over a sustained period and this concern has been shared on a number of occasions over the past few years.

“Contrary to recent reports, Butcombe’s managing director of tenanted pubs and their predecessor both met with them on two separate occasions. Ultimately, Butcombe has to ensure all pubs are viable so that they can continue to serve communities in a sustainable way.”

Butcombe says that the pub is failing financially. The tenants deny these claims

Miles denies that Butcombe spoke with him, and says the pub is profitable and his lawyers have asked for a public retraction from Jonathan Lawson, the CEO of the Liberation group, which owns Butcombe, of a recent statement.

This statement said that “the pub was run inefficiently or was at a loss” and that Butcombe had “offered help”, with Miles saying this is “entirely untrue and potentially damaging to us and our business”.

Miles says that Butcombe, under its previous owners, cared for the Ring O’ Bells. However, he thinks that Liberation, who bought out Butcombe three years ago, only cares about money, not community.

Butcombe says that the decision to move the Ring O’ Bells into Butcombe’s managed estate was “not an easy one to make” but is “right for the pub, the team, customers and Compton Martin itself in the long term”.

“Without this action the pub would have to be closed or sold because it’s not a viable business in its current guise,” a Butcombe spokesperson added.

“Moving this pub into the managed business in no way signals an end to this important site’s role within the community.”

The local community has rallied around Miles Leonard, who set up a radio station from the pub during the first national lockdown

The local community questions the company’s responses, however. The Butcombe team have not responded to questions over the rent increase.

Villagers are also asking why the company is increasing the rent if they claim the pub is struggling and are calling Butcombe “greedy”,  “scandalous” and “short-sighted”, especially given the ongoing pandemic.

“Our approach has always been about adding value to the people that support you,” says Miles. “Simply opening our doors and hoping people will come is not a pub we wish to run.

“We know how much the pub means to you and how important it is that it remains a local community hub, a place to come together with local ideas and the importance of supporting our unique and incredible local business’s, particularly in this very difficult time.

“Now more than ever a sense of unity, compassion, care and support for each other in our rural communities couldn’t be more at the top of our agenda.”

All photos: The Ring O’ Bells

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