1
EAST BERGHOLT PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE EXTRAORDINARY PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
Friday 21 August 2020 at 7.30pm
Present – Parish Councillors
Councillor J Miller (Chairman of the Council)
Councillor N Roberts (Vice Chairman of the Council)
Councillor R Allen
Councillor C Cathcart
Councillor M Hurley
Councillor R Lansdell
Councillor J Price
Councillor S Rothwell
Councillor G Woodcock
In Attendance
G White, Parish Clerk
No members of the public
Meeting Etiquette
The Chairman (Councillor Miller) welcomed everyone to the remote meeting of the Council which is being
conducted by digital conference call pursuant to The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus)
(Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020.
1. Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Eley who is on holiday. The apology was NOTED.
2. Declaration of Interests
There were no declarations of interest.
3. Assets of Community Value
The Chairman stated that she had called this extraordinary meeting following the productive Zoom
meeting between Councillors and Mr Peachey on 17 August. In the course of that meeting Mr Peachey
had made two important facts known. Firstly that if the Red Lion is listed as an asset of community value
he will not be able to re-open the pub as it will not be possible for him to restructure his loans satisfactorily
and secondly that he intends to re-open on an imminent date which he shared with councillors but which
is not yet in the public domain. The premises will re-open as a pub and a restaurant to serve the village
and tourists to the village. It will provide standard pub facilities and also a good value dining experience.
The Chairman and Councillor Wombwell had visited the premises on Monday afternoon and Mr Peachey
had shown them figures in the business plan which indicated that the business would be profitable. He
would be employing about ten local people.
The Chairman reported that Mr Peachey had made a commitment to re-open on the stated date if the
community nomination was withdrawn and the Chairman added that if the Council does decide to
2
withdraw the community nomination it will be on the basis of the assurances given by Mr Peachey at the
morning and afternoon meetings of 17 August.
Councillor Roberts commented that he felt Mr Peachey had been genuine in his remarks to councillors
and the meeting had left him feeling relatively positive.
The Chairman said that the afternoon visit reinforced the positive feeling from the morning meeting. Mr
Peachey had apologised for threatening not to re-open unless the community nomination was withdrawn.
A number of factors had left him highly stressed and his emotions had got the better of him. He had
reaffirmed that he did not intend to sell the Red Lion to any party other than the Parish Council (if it
wished to purchase at a price which would cover his investment to date). She considered that Mr
Peachey’s remarks were genuine.
A general discussion ensued where councillors expressed their views which were broadly positive. It was
the general feeling that if the community nomination was withdrawn it should be withdrawn for both the
pub and the car park, as to leave the car park nomination in place might suggest to Mr Peachey that the
Council was in part reneging on its promise to withdraw if the assurances given were considered to be
satisfactory.
It was proposed by Councillor Miller, seconded by Councillor Hurley and RESOLVED (eight voted for,
none voted against), that
(i) following discussion with the owner of the Red Lion and the assurances given by him to re-open
the pub on a specified date, the Council withdraws the community nomination to list the Red Lion
and the car park as an asset of community value.
(ii) If the pub does not re-open on the specified date, the matter be reported back to Council for
reconsideration.
Date of the next remote Parish Council Meeting – Thursday 10 September 2020 at 7.30pm
Chairman…………………………………………………………………………………….Date………………………………………………..