The Angel Spinkhill Community Interest Company (CIC) recently concluded the sale of The Angel, to Chris and Jean Norfolk. Chris is a successful and experienced local restaurateur who the CIC believe has the vision and expertise to take The Angel forward as a thriving pub/restaurant.
Commencing with an Asset of Community Value (ACV) listing, this has been a lengthy and complex process. However, the CIC have remained focussed upon their original goals of:
Saving The Angel,
Returning it to our community under the guidance of an experienced professional
Retaining it for the future of the community.
These goals are based upon supporting community interest as opposed to financial gain.
In January 2014, North East Derbyshire District Council refused an application to convert The Angel after villagers, with the support of Sheffield CAMRA, made their case to save the pub at a planning meeting. The plan would have allowed a property developer to have converted The Angel into two houses, retain a small portion of the pub for a small public bar and build two detached houses in the garden. The council’s planning committee unanimously refused the application due to the site being listed as an ACV – the first in North East Derbyshire. It was the first time in the country an ACV listing was been cited as the primary reason for a council to refuse planning permission.
Over the next few weeks the CIC will be:
Returning all donations and investments, without which none of this could have happened.
Inviting all donors to a meeting, in the school hall, to outline the work which the CIC has undertaken
Sheffield CAMRA would like to congratulate all involved for their parts in saving the Angel and wish then good fortune in the future.
Dave Pickersgill
