We're on our way!
Updated: 7 days ago
The Bell will reopen in summer 2027
Whether it's a pint on a sunny summer afternoon, a glass of wine on a winter evening, or a meal with family and friends, reopening The Bell will bring a warm welcome back to the heart of Iden. We've been working to achieve that aim since the village bought the pub in March this year and we're on course to make it a reality.
Our initial Share Offer was generously supported by the community, enabling us to buy The Bell. We will be asking for your support again to help fund the restoration and refurbishment of the building. With that support the coming months will see significant milestones as we move towards reopening and welcoming The Bell back to the heart of Iden.
Our Planning Application Rother are considering our application, with a decision due by 29 November. Our aim is to restore and refurbish the building, improving it to the standard required to run a modern, successful, hospitality business. Crucially, we are also asking for a change of use to convert the first floor to three en-suite letting rooms. Together with the existing rooms in the outbuilding they will give the business added resilience. Restoring The Bell After many years of neglect, the restoration needs to be comprehensive, repairing The Bell while preserving and enhancing its historic character. The building will additionally be brought up to current standards of fire safety and accessibility, together with a three-phase electrical supply, air-source heat pump and improved insulation. We have five building contractors tendering for the project and will be in a position to appoint the chosen company by early December. Tenancy agreement We are finalising legal agreements with | our prospective publicans and their investors. They will fund the commercial fit-out and run the business once the restoration is finished. Our second Community Share Offer Our first Share Offer provided the resources for us, together with Christopher Strangeways, to buy The Bell. The second will enable us to take the next step and fund the restoration and refurbishment of the building. We intend to launch the second Share Offer in the New Year, once we have planning permission and have signed a legal agreement with our publicans. We will give more details in the coming weeks, including how much we need to raise and how people can get involved. Summer 2027 There is still a lot of work to do, but our eyes are firmly set on reopening and we're looking forward to welcoming everyone back! The Management Board THE BELL IDEN COMMUNITY LIMITED |
