A PARISH council near Wellington may try to buy its village’s now-closed last public house after a community fund-raising drive failed last year.

A community group was set up in Milverton to try to find £580,000 to purchase the Globe Inn, which eventually closed in September, 2024.

But it was unsuccessful and has since been refunding investments from villagers who have requested their money back.

Now, the parish council has set up a working party to look at whether it can purchase the pub, which was put on the market for sale at £425,000, although the price was recently dropped to £380,000.

The working party comprises councillors and a number of co-opted villagers with a brief to explore if there was a realistic case for council involvement.

A council spokesperson said: “At this stage, this is very much about looking carefully at what may or may not be possible, rather than any firm proposal or commitment.

“This includes looking at the potential community value of The Globe, possible options for the future, and what practical, financial, and legal considerations would need to be understood before anything further could be considered.

“The parish council’s view is, it is important to proceed cautiously and responsibly.

“Before any wider decisions, there needs to be clear understanding of whether there is a credible business case, whether any form of community benefit could realistically be achieved, and what level of risk or resource might be involved.

“In other words, the current position is one of careful due diligence, rather than commitment.

“Many residents will appreciate the importance of The Globe within the village, both historically and socially, and there is understandable interest in whether a positive long-term future might be possible.

“The working party’s role is to help gather the information needed so any future discussions can be based on evidence, clarity, and proper consideration.

“The council will provide further information in due course as initial work progresses, but in the meantime interested parishioners can follow the working party’s progress on its website where they can sign up to receive updates.”

The working group is being chaired by parish Cllr Trevor Phelps, with Cllrs Ben Orton and Rob Hancock also members.

Cllr Phelps said it was hoped to have a final feasibility report ready for the council in the last quarter of this year.

He said the group would carry out analysis of similar community/parish-owned pub models and seek an independent asset valuation, and look at funding avenues.

Initial discussions were held around the idea of the parish council borrowing money from the Public Works Loan Board, and co-ordination with parish clerk Kathryn Howard to analyse financial implications on the local precept across different property bands.

The Plunkett Foundation had put forward three core acquisition models, which were a parish council purchase with a tenant, council-owned but run by a community benefit society, and a shared 51/49 per cent ownership.

Cllr Phelps said as well as online and public meetings, a door to door survey would be essential.