Villagers are planning a fresh bid to register their local pub as a community asset amid fears it could be turned into housing.
Residents of Scruton, near Northallerton, are preparing a second application to obtain the status for the Coore Arms after a first bid was rejected by North Yorkshire Council.
The pub shut in February after landlord Mark Brown said he could not continue to lose money on the business.
In an announcement on social media, the owner blamed the Budget for placing additional burdens on the pub, which was already struggling due to a rise in costs from increases to employers’ National Insurance, the minimum wage and alcohol duty.
The closure prompted Scruton Parish Council to nominate the pub for community asset status with North Yorkshire Council, but this was turned down.
Council officers acknowledged the Coore Arms had operated as a public house for more than 40 years and recognised that it had hosted a range of events over the years, including wedding receptions, funeral wakes and meetings for local groups.
However, the report concluded there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that these activities represented a significant community use beyond the normal operation of a pub.
Following the rejection, more than 50 local people attended a meeting last week to discuss a way forward.
A new application is now being prepared.
The pub has been on the market for a number of years and currently has an asking price of £295,000.
Villagers are concerned that it could be turned into housing if nobody buys the premises to run as a pub.
The application is being drawn up by villager Susan Rogers, who said one option could be for the community to buy and run the pub.
She said: “We’re still exploring the options, but we are determined to keep the pub in the village.”
Ms Rogers said the new application would have more detail, including testimonials, photos and the results of a survey which showed widespread local support for reopening the pub.
It is hoped the application can be submitted shortly under the name of an existing charity which runs the village hall.
Asset of community value status would give the community time to organise a bid to buy the property.
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