Why save the Windmill?
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A village pub is ‘a little part of our collective soul’ (Adrian Tierney Jones, Beer writer of the year 2017).  The Windmill was a vibrant, friendly space, and has potential to thrive in the right hands.
 
An independent viability report found The Windmill is a ‘viable public house whether operated on a tied or free of tie basis’. The car park continues to be regularly used by walking and cycling groups. The pub and car park are the only public open space in the village, set within green belt and a conservation area. 

The Windmill is currently being marketed for lease as a pub but the terms of lease and the state in which the pub is offered are not realistic The owner has refused to consider selling the building to the community, and we fear that The Windmill Pub is at risk in its current ownership. 

The pub and car park are registered as an 'Asset of Community Value' (ACV), and North Hertfordshire District Council Local Plan recognises it as an important local facility which ‘should be protected wherever possible’. 

We want to show that the community is prepared to invest in the future of the Windmill Pub, to counter arguments that it is not a viable business and challenge any future 'change of use planning' applications.

We know we can make a difference - the pub owner withdrew planning application for change of use in the face of an unprecedented number of written public objections received by the council. In other areas, rural pubs have been acquired by local communities and are now run as thriving social businesses.
 
​Read more about how you can join in the campaign to save the Windmill pub.​