Listed pub emergency repairs completed
The owner of the Five Bells pub near Nether Wallop has completed urgent repairs to the listed building after Test Valley Borough Council issued a legal notice last year.
The Urgent Works Notice instructed the pub's owner to carry out vital work to the Grade II listed property in a bid to prevent further deterioration and to keep it weatherproof, safe from collapse and to prevent vandalism or theft.
Planning portfolio holder, Councillor Nick Adams-King, said: "As a local pub, the Five Bells is a valuable community asset and it is therefore important that the council seeks to work with the owner and village residents to ensure its long-term future.
"The condition of the Grade II listed building has deteriorated significantly since it closed in 2013, which is why we took the decision to serve the notice before it got any worse. Council officers have recently inspected the building and are content that the owner has complied with the notice. We are now considering whether further repairs are needed as well as potential courses of action.
The pub's Grade II listing recognises its significance as a building of national importance. It is also within the Nether Wallop conservation area and is close to other listed and historic buildings.
Councillor Adams-King, added: "Local residents remain keen to see the pub re-open and we will continue to do all we can to protect it."