Loddington Village launches community bid to save much-loved pub

Share Prospectus being dropped through local letterboxes

Residents of Loddington have launched a community share offer in a determined bid to bring their village pub into community ownership

The move follows confirmation that The Hare, which closed its doors in December 2023, is set to be auctioned later this month. The closure of this busy, much-loved pub and restaurant came as a complete shock.

As the only pub in Loddington, The Hare has been designated an Asset of Community Value by North Northamptonshire Council. There is overwhelming support from local residents, neighbouring towns and villages, local councillors and MPs to see the pub re-open as a community owned asset to secure its long term future.

Community Share Offer

The Hare at Loddington — popular heart of village community and neighbouring villages and towns

A Community Benefit Society has been formed which will enable the public to buy shares in the society to raise necessary funds to

purchase the pub. Community members will have a say in the future of The Hare and help shape its role in the community.

A prospectus has just been released which covers all the details of the share offer and what it means for investors.

The plan is to re-open The Hare as a tenanted pub and restaurant, whilst also offering a daytime coffee space, parcel and prescription services as well as room for book exchanges, community meetings and informal drop-ins.

Steve Wilks, Chairman of the Save The Hare group, said, “The Hare has been the social hub of Loddington and surrounding villages for generations. Its loss has been keenly felt by everyone and we’ve been inundated with messages of support as we work to bring The Hare back as a community owned asset.”

In his letter of support local Counsellor Jim Hakewill stated “I support the vision of reopening and enhancing the venue with more local facilities and activities than simply a very popular pub that I have personally known for some fifty years as being the beating heart of the village.”

He added, “I’ve spoken to my two North Northamptonshire Council colleagues (Cllrs Cedwein Brown and Joseph Smyth) and they are happy to lend their support to this letter and the vision for The Hare more generally.”

A dedicated email for followers of the campaign and where a copy of the share prospectus can be obtained is [email protected]

Follow updates on a public Facebook group - Save The Hare Pub – which has already attracted over 330 members since its formation just two weeks ago.