A GRASSROOTS campaign to save the 16th-century Lamb Inn in Sandford is ready and willing to buy it, the group has said in an open letter to the pub’s landlord.

It comes soon after owner Nick Silk was refused planning permission to turn it into three three-bedroom homes.

The Lamb Inn Community Society Limited told Mr Silk in the letter it has “the infrastructure, commitment and resources needed” to buy the pub, and would “raise funds through a share offer and other sources... to keep it at the heart of Sandford as a community-owned pub”.

The Lamb Inn is currently recognised by Mid Devon District Council as an “asset of community value”, which means if the owner wants to sell it, community groups can pause the sale for six months to try to buy it.

Mr Silk had sought permission to turn the pub and outbuildings into three three-bedroom houses. He wanted to retire, it had “not been a viable business” since the Covid-19 pandemic despite efforts to diversify income, and nobody made an offer to buy it for two and a half years, planning documents had argued.

The Lamb Inn was last bought for £500,000 in 2017 and was put up for sale in July 2022 for £795,000, with the price then dropping to £775,000 and later £675,000.

Mid Devon District Council refused the plans on the basis that the loss of pub would “damage the settlement’s ability to meet its day-to-day needs” and result in a “significant change to the existing long-established use of the building as a public house”.

It added that it had been “demonstrated” the pub was still economically viable and the marketing price had been “too high and not set at a reasonable price”.

You can see the refused application on the district council’s website under reference 25/00040/FULL.