Comment - The Future of the Buck Inn

Whilst we cannot condone the direct action taken by the PFLB this weekend, it has undoubtedly fulfilled a useful purpose in bringing the spotlight onto the dismal failure of the owners and their agents to get the pub reopened. The Buck has now been closed for nine months. During that time we have received a number of communications from David Broschomb of the agents, Fleurets and it is worth revisiting some of the assertions and statements which they have made:  

If the consequences were not so serious, this sorry litany would almost be amusing. Were it not for the fact that back in September Mr. Broschomb assured us that “they have their finger on the pulse of the market”, a cynic might conclude that they don’t really know what they are doing. (Indeed if their website were to reveal that the pub is in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park rather than, as they claim, Skipton, they might have more success in finding a tenant.)

In reality, however, the continued closure of the Buck is having devastating consequences on the social and economic fabric of Buckden; a fact which appears to be completely lost on Mr. Broschomb. In another email of 7^th February, Mr. Broschomb wrote “I certainly think that we need to get the Buck open, if only so people can find other issues to gossip about”. The eye-watering condescension of this remark is hard to stomach. No doubt, seen from the sophisticated, metropolitan perspective of Enterprise House in Leeds, Buckden seems like the sort of place where huddles of be-smocked villagers gather round the parish pump puffing on their clay pipes and “gossiping”, because let’s face it – they’ve nothing else to do. 

Not so – Buckden is a busy working village with an economy based on two key sectors – farming and tourism. The level of interest in the future of the pub is in large part a reflection of the fact that the pub is (or should be) at the heart of a web of interconnected businesses – bed & breakfasts, holiday cottages, bunk barns, camp sites etc, all of which provide the clientele for the pub, but which are also dependent on it to attract visitors to come – because a welcoming country pub with good beer is an essential part of the Dales holiday proposition. This is a synergistic and mutually beneficial relationship – and when the pub was thriving, so were the other holiday businesses. The Buck Inn has gone steadily downhill since it was sold in the early 2000’s, and in consequence the attractiveness of Buckden as a holiday destination has diminished – and with it the number of holiday beds, which is down by over 50% since 2005 – this is not a coincidence.  

Now, one would have thought that Mr. Broschomb, his finger still firmly “on the pulse of the market”, would have spotted this and recognized that the longer that they allow this situation to continue, the harder it is going to be to turn the business around and that there is a very real risk of the business and the market getting into a vicious downward spiral from which it could prove very difficult to recover. Furthermore, continued closure is playing havoc with the fabric of the building, further increasing the cost of turning around the business. 

So much for the economic consequences – the social consequences also need to be considered and at a time when sustainability issues are high on the agenda in remote rural communities, the pub should fulfil a pivotal role in the social life of the community, as well as being, along with school, a key factor in making people want to move to, and indeed, stay in the village. 

Not “gossip” then, but expression of legitimate and serious concern about the future of our community. 

So what should be done? Fleurets latest idea of a “temporary tenant” is a short-term stop-gap solution, which is not going to fix the problem, and one which would suggest that their finger has, if only temporarily, slipped off “the pulse of the market”. What is needed is someone who knows what they are doing, who understands the market, who is in it for the long-term, and who has a coherent business plan and the financial resources to make it happen. A temporary tenant is not going to fulfil these requirements, and to be honest, it is unlikely that anyone taking on the business on a tenancy or leasehold basis is going to meet these criteria – which is almost certainly why Fleurets have failed to find anyone to take the pub on. 

It is possible to turn round a pub in these circumstances – The Angel at Hetton, The Fountaine at Linton, The Tennants at Kilnsey, have all been through hard times, but have been turned round by professionals who know what they are doing. 

Fleurets and their clients either need to find someone with the vision, the skills, the experience, the commitment and the resources to turn the pub around and to lease it to them on a long term basis – or else, to sell the property to someone who has;  either way, they should do it quickly. 

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The campaign for Kettlewell School was an interesting example of what can be achieved by local pressure in the face of remote decision makers. If you believe that something needs to be done about the Buck Inn, why not write to Mr. Broschomb expressing your views and asking him to pass them on to his client. His email address is david.broschomb@fleurets.com. In addition why not write to the National Park, to your MP julian.smith.mp@parliament.uk, and your local councillors j-roberts@supanet.com and shel.marshall@tiscali.co.uk seeking their support.