Progress report – 4th March 2025

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Four of us visited The Farmer’s Arms in Muker, Swaledale (population ~70) to meet the chair and secretary of the Muker Community Benefit Society and talk about how their group saved their local pub by raising over £500k via a community share offer. Like us, they formed around a year ago and had hoped to apply for 50% grant funding from the Community Ownership Fund. When the election was called and the fund was withdrawn, rather than wait (as we have) they decided to try and raise the whole amount using shares. Remarkably they succeeded, which gives us a lot more confidence for our campaign, once we get back to considering fundraising rather than fighting the planning application.

Meanwhile, the Pheasant is effectively no longer up for sale while the owners also await the outcome of their planning application to close The Pheasant and turn it into three houses. This was due to be discussed by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Planning Committee next week but that meeting has been cancelled so it will not be considered before mid April at the earliest. Representatives of Casterton Parish Council and Casterton Community Hub Limited will attend the planning meeting to present our views, when it eventually happens.