April 2025 - The village questionnaire

Results are in!

The first copies of a short, printed newsletter have been distributed to every home in Stoke Goldington. And the results of village questionnaire distributed in March are in!

We received 130 responses, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive:

  • 98% of respondents support exploring the purchase of the pub as a community venture.

  • 72% of respondents expressed an interest in directly helping the project financially or operationally.

  • The community has expressed a clear message: The pub is a valued asset and there is a powerful desire to see it reopened and used.

Current status

MK Council has designated the pub (including car park and garden) as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).

A small steering group chaired by Nick Allen has successfully bid for a fully funded support package from Plunkett UK to facilitate establishing a Community Benefit Society (CBS), together with advice and support for the initiative. A CBS is a legal form for organisations that operate on a not-for-profit basis and benefit the community as a whole. Around 90% of new community pubs use this model.

Plunkett UK is a charity supporting rural community businesses: www.plunkett.co.uk.

A property valuation has been arranged with Sidney Phillips Ltd, specialists in licensed trade and ACV properties. A ‘Planning Policy’ review paper has also been produced.

Our next steps are to:

  • Establish valuation and refurbishment estimates.

  • Continue purchase discussions with the current owners.

  • Expand the steering group team and update the community on progress.

  • Establish a CBS with business vision, model, financial plan and pledge/share documentation.

  • Democratically elect a management team for the CBS and harness the skills and strength of our community.