The Parish Council was contacted by the agent for the buyers advising of the bid for the Six Bells and a wish to reassure the Parish Council of the intention to retain and develop it as a pub. An invitation to attend the PC meeting on 8th was extended but no-one attended. Follow up through the agent resulted in call from one of the business partners of the company intending to buy.
The business (Paradoilia Group) is made up of 5 friends. They have various business interests ‘at different stages of development’. Some of the business partners work as mortgage advisors and one also provides accountancy and stocktaking services to the pub trade.
The business has another pub which has been leased and run for 20 years with a resident manager. And we were advised that completion on another pub in Kings Lynn was imminent.
Paradoilia Group intends to lease out the Six Bells to tenant manager. Plan still have to be drawn up but the intention is to install a commercial kitchen and refurbish –including a re-thatch etc. An interim manager would be put in place whilst the development plans are drawn up.
The ‘Asset of Community Value’ status is there to allow anyone, community groups included, to mount a bid, with 6 months to do so if the initial expression of interest is submitted to MSDC by 14th June.
The Parish Council has publicised the position widely and to date has not heard anything to suggest there is a serious ‘community group’ bid in the offing although there was a contact from someone who may have been interested in purchasing if a community group came forward with a satisfactory formed plan.