Britain's first urban co-op pub launches

Britain’s first urban co-operative pub is launched today as a new report shows that pub closures have accelerated to one every three hours.

The Star Inn in Salford was given three weeks’ notice of closure but, after locals clubbed together, the pub is back in business as a community-owned co-operative.

The new pub coincides with the launch of a report, ‘Calling Time on Pub Closures – The Co-operative Answer’, by Co-operativesUK which documents rising trends in pub closures and sets out advice on creating co-operative pubs.

‘Calling Time on Pub Closures – The Co-operative Answer’ is co-written by Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Co-operativesUK and Julian Ross, who helped to set up the pioneering co-operative pub, The Old Crown in Hesket Newmarket in rural Cumbria.

“The Star Inn has been part of the community since 1867,” said Margaret Fowler, a local resident. “People really missed it when it was closed down and that brought us all together to invest our own cash to re-open the pub.

"It really was easy to set it up as a co-operative and now we have got our pub back, it’s the most fantastic feeling in the world.”

Ed Mayo said: “Pub closures can be like pulling the plug on local communities.

“It is scandalous that pubs like The Star Inn are being closed at three weeks’ notice and it is a tribute to the community in Salford that they responded in an innovative answer to the threat of closure."

Julian Ross added: “The Old Crown became Britain’s first co-operatively-owned pub and we have shown that by working together, we can preserve something that is very important for the community.

“As a group, we believed we could safeguard our pub’s future and turn it into a co-operative, and I want to help encourage other communities to try what we have done.”

Julian’s five top tips to responding to pub closure include:
• Establish a robust business case
• Encourage as many people as possible to buy into the idea
• Seek advice about setting up a business and talk to banks, other regulars and Co-operativesUK about how to structure your co-operative
• Establish who owns the pub
• Consider carefully who will run the pub.

It isn’t suitable for every community but it is now an option to take seriously.

If you are interested in finding out more about how to buy your local pub, please download a copy of ‘Calling Time on Pub Closures – The Co-operative Answer’ – http://tinyurl.com/ybwgm7l.

In the meantime, The Star Inn’s regulars and owners are raising a glass to their new co-operative and looking forward to a bright future.