THE owner of a closed-down pub has claimed a bid by residents to buy the venue has annoyed fellow villagers.

A group of people in New Yatt, near Witney, have made a £275,000 bid to take over and re-open The Saddlers Arms.

They claim they have enough support to make it a thriving business.

But some say they do not want to see the pub, which has been closed for three years, revived because they don’t believe it will work.

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The pub’s owner Pauline Lakey, who bought it early last year and lives in an apartment upstairs, would not reveal whether she would accept the villagers’ bid.

She added: “A lot of people I’ve spoken to say they are annoyed at what this group is doing. How can it be a community buy-out when a lot of the community don’t want to be involved and haven’t been asked?

“If you had a house and did a lot of work on it then you aren’t going to sell it just because someone says they want to buy it.”

Pilates instructor Ms Lakey said the pub, previously owned by Oxford Hotels and Inns, had been empty since December 2011 before she bought it.

Her intention was to open it from Friday to Sunday, while using it as a base through the week for her pilates classes.

But after it flooded due to a burst water pipe within a few weeks, causing thousands of pounds of damage, she put it back on the market for £375,000.

In January she was denied planning permission to change it into a house by West Oxfordshire District Council.

Linda Bowen, who lives opposite the pub with her husband Roger, said she had not been consulted.

She said: “Everyone in the community would love to have a pub, but unfortunately it’s failed numerous times and we have to be realistic. It’s been standing empty for months on end and it was targeted by vandals at one stage.

“We’ve had enough and just want someone in there who’s going to care for the property.

“It’s very sad because it’s divided our community.”

Hailey Parish Council, which covers the area, applied to the district council for it to become an asset of community value.

This was approved on April 28 and gave residents six months to lodge a bid, which was made last month.

The Saddlers Arms Community Pub group was set up to make the bid, funded by pledges from residents’ subscriptions in a share scheme, loans, and grants.

Nick Moglia, 54, one of the residents leading the bid, said the group had handed out leaflets and surveys to everyone in New Yatt, North Leigh and Hailey, and held four public meetings.

He said: “Based on the information we have, we believe the community does support this.”

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