Bucks MP hails 'beloved' pub reopened after 18-month closure

The Conservative visited the Crown on City Road in Radnage as it reopened on Saturday (31 August) under new management after shutting its doors in January 2023.

Smith hailed the boozer in his Mid Buckinghamshire constituency as an example of the ‘vital village pubs’, which provide jobs, boost the local economy, and serve as a social hub.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that such pubs ‘needed to be protected’ and added: “Please support local pubs – they rely on our patronage to keep their doors open and to continue being the heart of our communities.

“It was fantastic to see this beloved pub back in action, filled with a lively atmosphere. I even had the chance to learn how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness!”

A smiling Smith was pictured behind the bar of the Crown, a pub considered so important that it is specially designated by Buckinghamshire Council.

The watering hole is one of 35 pubs across the county on the list of ‘assets of community value’.

Listing a pub as an ‘ACV’ means that community interest groups are able to trigger a six-month ‘moratorium’ with the local authority when a pub is set to be sold.

This stops developers disposing of community assets before residents have had the chance to raise funds or develop a business plan to buy them.