About Us
History and development of the Cockfield Village Group
2019-2020
The Plough and Fleece (the Pub) closed for business in December 2019 and has not reopened. The landlord submitted a planning application for a change of use to a residential building in October 2020, citing reasons that the pub was not viable and was not turning over a profit. During the consultation phase, several members of the community, and the local Parish Council, objected to the application. The application was duly rejected by Babergh District Council in December 2020.
2021
The landlord submitted an appeal in February 2021 to overturn the Council’s decision, which led to the Parish Council applying to register the Pub as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) in October 2021. The appeal was dismissed by the Babergh Council in November 2021; registering the premises as an ACV was a contributory factor in this outcome.
The landlord notified Babergh District Council in November 2021 of their intent to sell the pub, however, this was not marketed until March 2022 and continues to be up for sale two years later. The Cockfield Village Group (CVG) was formed in November 2021, to buy the Pub. The first aim was to survey the community to determine whether or not there was an appetite for reopening the Pub.
2022
In February 2022 residents received an invitation to complete a questionnaire and over 300 responses were received. It was very clear that reopening the Pub is something that the community supported. We have continued to engage with the community through regular updates and they are as keen as they were back in 2022 to have the Plough and Fleece reopened with the addition of a shop, post office and café/meeting place ie a Community Hub.
It was clear from the 300+ responses received that there was a real appetite for the pub to reopen:
Supporting a community owned facility
98% supported our vision.
Using the community hub
Over 95% said they would use community hub.
More than just a pub!
Responses suggested that the community hub should not just operate as a pub.
Your support is vital to the success of this project!
We were delighted with the level of support and expertise offered.
Having gained sufficient evidence, the CVG applied to the Plunkett Foundation (now Plunkett UK) for support. Gaining their support was crucial since their role is to assist local communities in acquiring and operating community-owned/operated facilities. Plunkett UK have numerous success stories in supporting local communities and they offer business support relevant to all stages of a community-owned/operated venture.
After successfully gaining their support in March, the CVG met, and communicated regularly, with an assigned representative from Plunkett UK to gain crucial advice. From this, the CVG applied in April 2022 for Community Benefit Society status (CBS), which would allow the CVG to raise funds through a share offer. In doing so, the CVG were advised to follow model rules that are adopted by Plunkett UK. To facilitate this, the CVG reached out to the community for donations for professional fees, such as joining Plunkett UK and registering as a CBS, by creating a GoFundMe Page and nearly £1500 of donations were gratefully received. Having registered as CBS, the CVG successfully registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in May 2022. The moratorium end date of the ACV was in May 2022.
2023/2024
The moratorium restarted in May 2023 as a year had passed from the previous one (ending May 2022) and the landlord informed Babergh that the pub would be marketed as required by the ACV rules. In May 2023, the CVG, expressed an interest to purchase the pub and the moratorium period of six months started again. The CVG made efforts to contact the landlord, via their estate agent(s), but it was not possible to open a dialogue. In November 2023, the moratorium lapsed again and a new year of open market sales commenced. In January 2024 the CVG finally was allowed to visit the pub and meet with the landlord. From this initial contact, it was agreed that MJD Hughes, a surveyor specialising in hospitality and recommended by Plunkett UK could complete a business viability survey and valuation.
During the Summer of 2023, we were also made aware that the owners of the village store and post office would be retiring in November 2023. The CVG offered to take on the running of the village shop and met with the local community to see whether there would be sufficient volunteers to make this a viable proposition. The village shop was taken on by the CVG in November 2023. Initial funding was raised through GoFundMe and with the support of the Parish Council we purchased the existing stock and have continued to run the shop successfully. We are replacing the fridge and freezer and have been able to do so with the support of The Royal Countryside Fund who gave us a grant of £4,650 for that purpose.
The Post Office will be run independently, however, the shop and post office will need to be run from another location within the next year. The past owners have kindly agreed to rent the space to us at an affordable amount. Therefore, we plan to incorporate both of these facilities on the site of the Plough and Fleece to create a hub for the community.
We are a Community Benefit Society
Recorded prior to share launch, this video gives an overview on how our Business Model will operate. Further details can be found in our Business Plan.
Our team
The Cockfield Village Group is a small group of individuals who live in the village and are passionate about preserving the amenities in Cockfield, by the community purchase of the Plough and Fleece pub. Incorporating the shop and post office will create a well needed village hub.
Peter Finch
Chair
Grants manager
I am a retired chartered engineer with extensive experience in company and project management as well as business development. Since moving into the village in 2015, I have been heavily involved in the management of a local community transport charity, providing services to the elderly, disabled and isolated residents.
This has involved extensive negotiations with local authority officials and councillors at county, district and parish levels as well as successfully raising funds from a range of grant-awarding bodies.
Through this work I am very aware of the need of many in our community for maximum opportunities for social interaction, and fully support this project which will deliver those opportunities.
Martin Smith
Vice chair
Data manager
My wife Clare and I moved from Buckinghamshire to Great Green, Cockfield in summer 2021, following my change of career and looking to slow my pace of life. We were both looking for a chance to be part of a community and enjoy our lives together.
The thought of a village with a village shop, village Pub and a café would be an ideal environment for locals to engage with the community.
My background was as an inventor and MD for an emissions reduction advisory and chemical sales company that is now owned by my Canadian distributors. I spent seven years on the governments advisory and steering committee on transport, fuels, and emissions. I have extensive knowledge in business structure, process, and diligence; and have spent the past 5 years creating a corporate training company.
I currently hold a level 3 in education and training, a level 2 in Health and Safety, fire safety, manual handling, and a level three in Emergency first aid and paediatric first aid and a EU2015/1998 in air cargo security training.
I hope that my skills can be used to improve our community and assist in the creation of our Village Hub.
Vincent Scholier
Secretary
Communications and marketing
I moved to Cockfield in 2018 and was delighted to learn that there was a pub by the Great Green. As a CAMRA member, I appreciate a good beer and support the idea of keeping pubs open. I work as a Chemistry teacher and can bring a transferable skillset, such as organising, planning and communication. I think that creating a hub for the community is vital to help sustain the village and I am looking forward to being part of it.
David Lewsey
Treasurer
I have lived in Cockfield since March 2019 and I have been fortunate enough to visit the Plough and Fleece a few times before its closure. I was delighted that there was an opportunity for a possible purchase of the pub and its reopening and fully supported this project. I have worked in finance all my working life initially in accountancy practice before moving into finance roles in healthcare initially at Bupa and then hospitals and a fertility group for most of my career. I am currently the Head of Finance for a local veterinary group that incorporates veterinary clinics and vet and nurse training. With my many years of experience in business and specifically finance, I plan to bring this particular set of skills to the team and project, however, I am more than happy to do anything to make the pub a success and create a hub for the community that we can be proud of.
Sarah Fletcher
Operations manager
I have lived in Cockfield for over 20 years and I am actively involved in all aspects of the village life. I am a Parish Councilor and the link between CVG and the council. I have taken on responsibility for the operation of the village shop in November 2023 and recruited 30 volunteers that work in the shop on an ad hoc basis. I look after the ordering and ensure that the shop continues to develop and meet the needs of the community. We are keen to find an alternative for the shop and post office and the site of the Plough and Fleece is an ideal location being in the center of the village.
Through this work I am very aware of the need of many in our community for maximum opportunities for social interaction, and fully support this project which will deliver those opportunities.
Allan Ramsay
Health and safety and compliance
I relocated to the village in Feb 2020 and was still unpacking when lockdown began. I saw the pub as my best opportunity to meet people and integrate with the community, so it’s been a big disappointment that it is still closed. So I’m enthusiastic about being involved in helping to find a sustainable solution to preserve its future. I spent 20 years managing pubs and hotels for various regional breweries so I understand the challenges.
I have previously managed facilities across a mixed development on the River Thames, working with residents and commercial tenants to improve and develop their environment, homes and businesses. In recent years I set up an in-house team of contractors for a social housing association to deliver a repairs service to 3000 properties. Above all, I’m hands-on and a DIY fanatic.
Neil Campbell
Architect
I’ve been in Cockfield for just over 5 years and am a Practising Architect. I work in commercial, housing and private residence sectors and my projects have used as exemplars in the Essex Design Guide.
The village pub was quite an attraction to me when moving here, and I can see that the detrimental effects of its closure have been far reaching, particularly post lock down, where villagers want to socialise.
This group’s aspirations transcend higher than simply just a place to get a drink. It is a realistic goal to create a community hub where the post office, village shop, a coffee shop and pub are all within walking distance for the majority of the village.
Moving forward I will be engaging further with the Local Authority Planning Department, Building Control, Specialist Consultants to create an inspirational community hub.
Cockfield Village Group Ltd.
Registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Society Act 2014
FCA registration number: 8863
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