06/01/2026
January 2026 Village Briefing: The Five Bells – Good news and a different approach
Over recent months, a great deal of work has gone into understanding the true financial position of the Five Bells and what realistic options exist for its future. One thing has become clear: in its current condition, and after many years of decline, the pub is not financially viable as a straightforward commercial sale / purchase.
This is not because village pubs are no longer valued; quite the opposite. The difficulty arises because the building has been allowed to deteriorate significantly, while at the same time being tightly constrained by planning and heritage protections.
The Five Bells is an historic, Grade II listed building and sits within the conservation area. As the last remaining pub in the village, it also benefits from strong policy protection. A change of use or redevelopment would require the owners to demonstrate that all reasonable efforts to operate it as a viable pub had been exhausted, which is clearly not the case given the strong local support for reopening it as a community pub. In addition, the site has limited curtilage, ecological constraints, and heritage sensitivities that make alternative development highly unlikely to be approved.
These factors mean that it can only realistically be valued as a public house. Its prolonged neglect has made that use increasingly difficult as the cost of restoration outweighs the value once fully up and running. This imbalance has now prompted a change in approach.
We have consulted with Test Valley Borough Council’s Legal, Planning and Conservation teams with the support of our excellent local councillor Stewart MacDonald. Conservation have agreed to formally invite the owners into a consultation about their legal responsibilities under listed building and conservation legislation.
Owners of listed buildings have a duty to keep them in reasonable repair and not allow them to fall into serious disrepair. As part of this process, the council is considering established legal powers designed specifically for situations like this:
Where a listed building is deteriorating, the council has two key powers; Urgent Works and Repairs.
The agreed starting point is constructive engagement. The council will first give the owners
the opportunity to meet their obligations and stabilise the building in line with listed building
requirements. Failure to act allows for legal action:
An Urgent Works Notice deals with immediate risk and obliges the owner to carry out essential temporary works to stabilise the building. If the owners fail to act, after at least seven days’ notice, the council can complete the work and recover the cost from the owner.
A Repairs Notice addresses longer-term neglect, sets out permanent repairs, and gives the owner a reasonable period, usually several months, to act; if they do not, it can lead to compulsory purchase.
This marks an important and positive step. It acknowledges that the Five Bells is a valued heritage asset, that long-term neglect is not acceptable, and that there are clear legal mechanisms to ensure the building is protected for the future.
Once the Five Bells is restored to a minimum viable position, we hope to pursue community ownership by negotiation or backing the council for a compulsory purchase order.
We will keep the village informed as matters progress but please be ready to spring into action and join our campaign to Save the Five Bells.
Thank you all for your continued support, patience, and commitment to seeing the Five Bells brought back into use as a proper part of village life.
Five Bells Community Society Ltd
Contact: [email protected]
Yes, it will be a pub that serves high-quality, locally-sourced food and drinks, but it will be much more too. We want to deliver what the community wants, whether that is a shop, a cafe, a garden producing seasonal produce, a wildlife walk by the stream, a community fridge to share produce, or some...
