Council buys the Ship Inn

Stroud District Council today announced that it has bought the Ship Inn at Brimscombe. The purchase, is subject to contract and should be completed next month.

The 18th century pub stands alongside the route of the Thames & Severn Canal and also alongside the Brimscombe Hill road.

"Our plans for redeveloping Brimscombe Port involve opening up the canal and building a new bridge over the canal and River Frome,” explained Andy Nash, the council’s Head of Asset Management. "Both of these projects may need small pieces of land occupied by the pub. Buying the pub was a fantastic opportunity, giving us flexibility in planning these things and also avoiding the possibility of expensive compulsory land purchase in the future."

Good news for local residents is that the council intends to keep the pub open for the foreseeable future, recognising its importance to the community and that it is one of the few remaining canalside inns.

"Retaining the pub is important for Brimscombe," said Cllr Martin Whiteside, ward member for Brimscombe & Thrupp. "Buying it shows how the council can proactively stimulate redevelopment and is another step in regenerating the Port."

With a £2m investment from the Homes & Communities Agency, together with £1m of its own money, the council is currently working on plans to build the road bridge, reinstate the canal and create a new access off the A419. These measures will help create an attractive and viable site ready for further investment by a developer.   The finished scheme should see a redeveloped port basin, around 200 waterside homes, new jobs and a new community centre with café and other facilities for both local residents and visitors.

The Ship Inn is currently owned by Enterprise Inns and has been run for over 20 years by landlords David and Christine Collins, who intend to retire in the near future.