A COMMUNITY’S efforts to save their village pub has been praised in the Senedd, amid calls for the Welsh Government to do more to support community-owned businesses.

Crymych Football Club is co-ordinating the community purchase of the Crymych Arms – a pub in the heart of Crymych which closed in September 2021 when the current owners retired and put the pub up for sale.

It is hoped the pub will reopen this August, when it will become a community hub –  promoting community activities for the village and encouraging new activities.

Western Telegraph: It is hoped the pub could be open as soon as August.It is hoped the pub could be open as soon as August. (Image: Crymych Arms)

Speaking in the Senedd on Tuesday, Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru’s Senedd Member for Mid and West, congratulated volunteers for raising over £200,000 to buy the pub.

Mr Campbell noted how fundraisers in Crymych are in following in the footsteps of other successful community ventures in Pembrokeshire, which include Tafarn Sinc in Rosebush, the White Hart in St Dogmaels and Havards Ironmongers in Newport.

In the Senedd, Mr Campbell challenged the first minister to provide greater support to communities seeking to purchase vital community assets including pubs and shops – citing a report from the Senedd’s Local Government and Housing Committee that called for a range of supportive measures – including a ‘community right to buy’ scheme as currently exists in Scotland.  

Following his question in the Senedd, Mr Campbell said: “I am truly in awe of the Crymych community’s hard work in raising over £200,000 to purchase the local pub and wish them well as they approach the target. 

“There’s no denying that Pembrokeshire is a flagship example of how communities can pull together and succeed in safeguarding local amenities.

“Despite these successes, I continue to feel the Welsh Government should be providing greater support and encouragement to communities to allow them to achieve such successes – including through replicating Scotland’s ‘community right to buy’.” 

In response to Mr Campbell’s question, Mr Drakeford said: “We recognise, as a Government, the importance of supporting local people when they do come together to make that effort to buy assets, like the people of Crymych have done already.  

“This is part of the work that the minister is doing, and I'm sure that when there is an update to give to Senedd, there will be an opportunity to do that.”