From Steve Holland

Wednesday, 2 March 2016

As many in Hebden Bridge will know, The Cross Inn Heptonstall, was put up for sale, just before Christmas.

A group (The Friends of the Cross) formed to ensure that The Asset of Community Value status of the pub was preserved and to ensure that we don't lose yet another pub to the developers, has been keeping a watching brief of the process.

I am pleased to say that the pub has been sold to a small pub company and will continue to operate as a pub.

I have attached a note from the Directors of the pub company that has bought it to this post.

In many ways this is a bit of a win/win situation for the area, because Terry, the former landlord has moved down to the Railway, firstly to oversee the renovation and future proofing of the pub and hopefully then to become the new landlord when it reopens.

Those of us who use the Cross regularly, have been pleased to welcome those locals of the Railway who have been travelling up to Heptonstall whilst their pub has been shut.

I'm sure they will have grown to appreciate what a decent, generous man Terry is, as we have. Their gain is our loss.

I'm sure many Railway customers feared that it would never open again. However, I know there are lots of plans, not only to only to reopen it but, where possible, ameliorate the impact of any future floods.

In the meantime we are pleased to welcome Jon, the new landlord to Heptonstall, it will be a change of direction for the pub, but one we're ready for.

Statement from Ian Prescott and Peter Mason

We are delighted to have acquired the Cross Inn in Heptonstall, a truly magical old building in a beautiful village.

We have worked with many old buildings and have recently refurbished a café/bar called Wapentake in the oldest street in Leeds, Kirkgate in conjunction with the Heritage Lottery Fund We have had many favourable comments on the way we reinstated the old windows and staircase and restored the old brickwork and boundary wall.

We also own other pubs, including for example the Plough in Mirfield, run by a local community organisation, the flying Ferret in Shelley with its famous "no swearing" policy and the Dicky Bird in Thwaites Brow, next to the cricket club and opened by the great umpire himself.

We are looking forward to developing the Cross Inn to make it one of the vibrant centres of the community and would welcome comments and suggestions over the next few weeks when we are having a period of consultation with the local community and council.

Please send any comments to peter@moodpubs.co.uk

Regards,

Peter Mason
Mood Developments
41 York Place
Leeds LS1 2ED
0113 243 9101