Derelict pub up for sale

A derelict pub is up for sale at auction this week, with a guide price of around £500,000 attached to the property.

The Bell and Castle at Horsley has been at the centre of rows between villagers, planners and its owner for almost four years now so it is hoped that the auction will resolve matters surrounding the pub.

Alex Kerr bought the property in 2008 but he sparked controversy when he took down modern additions to the property and started removing tiles. It appears that the aggravation has taken its toll on the pub’s owner as he remarked in June that his heart is no longer in the project.

Before he decided to sell, however, Mr Kerr was granted permission by a government inspector to partly demolish and rebuild the property, adding bed and breakfast facilities, as well as building three new houses next door to it.

The three building plots could go up for sale separately if the lot doesn’t reach its guide price.

It is hoped that someone with a strong interest in the local area will purchase the property and Horsley Parish Council chairman Nick Hackett is among those to have already registered an interest. “We are still very interested,” he told The Citizen, adding: “We would happily reopen negotiations.”

Mr Hackett’s plans involve developing it into a pub, flats, a shop and business units.