Updates
December 2024: The New Clarence - Sale Agreed
Kingston Apartments (Yorkshire) Ltd has agreed to sell the pub to the Hull Community Pub Society.
HCPS Chairperson, Simon Berry says “We fully appreciate that this was an incredibly difficult decision for them to make but thank them in reaching an agreement with us, given their own challenges. This sale will deliver a highly prized outcome for members of Hull Community Pub Society, CAMRA and involved local residents. We are all excited to have come to this agreement to be able to channel our combined energy into crafting an exceptional community run venue in Hull’s theatre quarter”.
Despite being on opposite sides over planning matters, this was never about the personal validity, authenticity and qualities of the people involved, merely the planning processes we were all trying our best to navigate our way through.
The Hull Community Pub Society appreciate that the owners of Kingston Apartments (Yorkshire) Ltd, Chris, Chris and Danny are ethical people with a philosophy and ethos of bringing out the best human values in themselves and in those with whom they work or encounter on a day-to-day basis. We fully understand and appreciate that they have long been dedicated to the community of Hull, evidenced by their tremendous efforts in bringing much more opportunity for diversity to the city through their Fuel and Propaganda venues, and, in supporting the LGBTQ community far beyond this. We, in our own project, and as human beings, fully support those same values.
October 2024: A third change of use application has been submitted for The New Clarence. Details can be found on the planning portal under reference 2400892FULL. This application may go to the Planning Committee on 4 December 2024.
September 2024: The latest application for The New Clarence to turn into a 20 bed HMO with reduced pub facilities on the ground floor has been refused by the Planning Committee. We still await the outcome of the appeal for it to be a 29 bedromm HMO from last year and an appeal against the ACV status of the building
June 2024: Three processes have been initiated to try and get the use of The New Clarence building changed from pub to residential:
1. An appeal against its status as an asset of community value.
2. An appeal of the councils decision to refuse it becoming a 29 bedroom HMO.
3. A new planning application in for the 1st and 2nd floors to be a 20 bedroom HMO.
We hope that the outcome of these processes will be known over the summer. Our offer to buy the pub to keep it 100% pub remains on the table.
April 2024: We have hit our fundraising goal including £156k of shares sold and a £300k grant from the Community Ownership Fund. We have offered the owners what they asked for it. They have declined the offer but it remains on the table.
February 2024: Our share issue is live. Supporters of The New Clarence and members of the public can buy shares starting at £100.
January 2024: The Hull Community Pub Society limited has been established. It is a community benefit society registered with the Financial Conduct Authority. The purpose of the Society is to Save the New Clarence and establish Hull's first community owned and run pub. We are a not for profit society, any profits we make will be reinvested in the pub or other community activities.
We will be launching a share issue in February 2024 so that our supporters can become members of the Society and help us to raise funds to buy the pub back. We are also making grant applications. Watch this space...
October 2023: The owners of The New Clarence have told the council that they intend to dispose of it (sell it or give it away). This means that the asset of community value moratorium period has been initiated and we have 6 months to organise and raise money in order to make them a bid.
September 2023: On 6 September the councils Planning Committee refused an application for The New Clarence to change from being a pub to being a 29 bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO). So long as the use class stays being pub there remains a possibility of it reopening.
A week after the planning meeting the owners offered to sell the building to the community. We said that we would buy it.
August 2023: The council has designated The New Clarence as being an Asset of Community Value (ACV). This means that if the owners decide to sell it they must first give the community 6 months to raise money and make them an offer.
July 2023: The New Clarence sadly closed its doors on 30 June. A group of former regulars has formed a group called 'Save the New Clarence' and is researching ways in which we can get the pub reopened.
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