A COMMUNITY group is celebrating after plans that could have stopped a village pub from reopening were thrown out.

Residents argued that proposals to build a house on The English Partridge pub land, in Bighton, Alresford, would have killed off any hopes of reopening more-than-300-year-old watering hole.

Applicant Ashley Levett was seeking permission to build a home on the land, which along with the pub is currently listed as an asset of community value (ACV), after closing the pub more than year ago.

However, the Winchester City Council planning committee heard that half of the households in the village had objected to the scheme.

Jonathon Booth, speaking on behalf of residents, told councillors that a group of villagers had banded together to save the pub, submitting a bid of £500,000 despite it being valued at £400,000.

However, Mr Booth said that it had been rejected, claiming Mr Levett wouldn’t accept anything less than £700,000.