CAMPAIGNERS have launched a bid to safeguard the future of a historic pub in Cheshire which is a ‘vital facility’ for the community.

An application has been submitted to Warrington Borough Council to make The Star Inn in Lymm an ‘asset of community value’.

This means that if the pub is listed for sale, the local community will have an opportunity to make a bid to buy it as the pub ‘furthers the social wellbeing or social interests’ of residents.

The bid is being championed by Lymm Parish Council on behalf of the popular watering hole, with the pub building dating back to the 1840s.

The Star Lane venue has been listed as an asset of community value in the past, however this protection only lasts for five years.

A document submitted as part of the application states: “The Star Inn is the only public house left in the parish hamlet of Statham, and it significantly contributes to the wellbeing of the local community.

“The pub offers a homely, welcoming environment which individual local people find rewarding and enjoyable as they meet and socialise.

“It is very common to find several generations of the same family in the pub, and most of the customers have been regularly visiting the pub for many years.

“If the pub was to cease trading, they would feel very isolated as there is nowhere else close by where they could socialise with people they have been seeing daily for 10 or more years.

“Such social interaction is in the interest of the locality as a whole, as it encourages cohesion and a collective sense of well-being.”

The bid lists the many community groups that use the pub, including Statham Community Primary School PTA, CAMRA, the Star Gun Club and Warrington Anglers Association.

The pub also hosts events throughout the year to boost community cohesion, such as a children’s Christmas party, carol singing, Easter egg hunts, Halloween parties, family days and weekly quizzes.

As well as showing live sport, The Star also hosts it through the pub darts team and it is the only pub in Lymm with a pool table, while Trans Pennine Trail walkers often visit.

The history of the pub is also highlighted in the bid, with the document adding: “The pub’s heritage forms an important part of the community’s historic and cultural identity, and there are many pictures with information displayed in the pub lounge.

“This all attracts more people to the pub from surrounding areas, contributing to the local economy and putting the pub on the map as a pub worthy of recognition from the council.

“A lot of the original features still remain, including the large beams that were used to support the heavy fustian cloth cutting bench.

“The pub is one of the best examples in the village of Lymm’s association with this 18th century industry.”

The application concludes: “All in all, The Star Inn is a great place to meet up with old friends, new friends and people passing through in a friendly relaxed atmosphere.

“It is always nice to come in and see a familiar face, and the pub’s loss would impact on a multitude of local community groups.

“The pub therefore clearly satisfies the requirements under the Act in that it furthers the social, cultural and recreational interests of the community.

“The pub furthers the social wellbeing of the community by hosting events, provides a cultural interest due to the pub’s historic interest, and gives the local community a familiar point of contact in times of need, playing a key role in their support.”