Residents launch fight to save Sussex village pub

The historic Sportsman Inn at the foot of the South Downs in Amberley closed at the start of the new year but residents are determined to see it reopen.

Scores of people crowded into St Michael’s Church Hall in the village last night (Monday) to hear plans for its future.

Villager Roger Agate is heading a Save Our Sportsman – SOS – Action Group and outlined why it was felt the pub could be saved and what options were available.

The Sportsman, which has been an ale and public house since the 1850s, shut on New Year’s Eve when the current tenants’ lease expired and the freeholders decided to sell up.

Roger, whose grandfather ran the village shop in Amberley for more than 30 years, said that the group had successfully had the pub declared an ‘Asset of Community Value’ before its closure.

He explained that research into its viability had been carried out with encouraging results and that views of Amberley residents had been sought to determine what additional uses a reopened pub could be put to for the benefit of the community.

Among suggestions were a workspace with Wi-Fi, drop-in coffee mornings, film nights, a folk club venue, book and tool exchanges, and repair café.

Fellow villager Mike Toynbee said: “It was felt that the best route for acquisition would be with the establishment of a Community Benefit Society once a price had been agreed with the vendors. Various grant applications are being pursued and the action group has already engaged with other communities that have acquired pubs.”

A number of those attending the meeting stepped forward to join a steering committee to take the project forward.

Roger added: “The response has been overwhelming. There is clearly a need for a ‘local’ like the Sportsman and we are determined to see the pub flourish again.

"Its unique location, with views across the Amberley Wildbrooks, has always made it a popular destination with visitors to the village as well as serving the local community.”

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Landlords Lee and Sophie Forbes had run the Sportsman Inn for the past five and a half years but trained chef Lee is now planning to start an outside catering business.