Groups have until 3 November to say they want to bid for the Montreal Arms

The Montreal Arms at 62 Albion Hill is for sale, and community groups that might want to buy it have until Tuesday 3 November to tell the council.

The pub closed in 2020. It is on the council’s list of assets of community value, which means the owner has to tell the council before selling, and local groups get a chance to put themselves forward as bidders. The council’s register shows it received the owner’s notice on 23 September.

Council deputy leader Tim Rowkins set out the process on social media, as the Argus⁵ reported. “ACV status means that, before any private sale can proceed, there has to be an opportunity for the community to raise funds and make an offer,” he said. Registering is only the first step: “All this does is notifies the council that you wish to be considered a potential bidder.”

If a group registers in time, the register shows the sale is on hold until 22 March 2027, so the group can raise money and make an offer. The owner can keep marketing the building during that time but can’t complete a sale to a private buyer, the Argus reported. If no group comes forward by 3 November, the owner is free to sell on the open market.

Only a “community interest group” can register. Under the council’s guidance, that means a charity, a community interest company, or a company limited by guarantee or co-operative that doesn’t hand out its surplus to members. The group needs a local connection to the area, and the request has to be in writing.

The listing doesn’t give anyone first refusal or a cheaper price. The owner “can sell to anyone, even if the community interest group raises enough money to buy,” the council says.

The pub was listed after a nomination by the Friends of the Montreal Arms. According to the Argus, anyone who wants to register before the deadline has been urged to contact Rowkins directly, to be put in touch with the council’s legal officers.