Campaigners hoping to prevent the Grade II-listed Cabinet pub at Reed being turned permanently into a house have said they were “resolute”, as the appeal against refusal of planning permission was published last week.

The Save The Cabinet Action Group has been fighting to have the only pub in the village restored since it was bought by a housing developer in 2016.

Group chair Mike Howes said: “We are determined to resist this appeal with all the fortitude we can muster. The campaign to save The Cabinet has generated huge community support and we are quite certain there is a rosy future for The Cabinet as a viable pub.”

The current owner of The Cabinet, Richard Newman, has appealed via an agent – after North Herts district councillors refused his retrospective application for planning permission for change of use.

More than 90 written objections were submitted to NHDC by villagers and others, and objectors and supporters will have the opportunity to make representations to the Planning Inspectorate – which will consider the appeal.

A petition was launched by the action group “to make sure the appeal is heard in public rather than in writing” has amassed more than 1,100 signatures.

Mike said: “It should never have been allowed to reach this stage. It is scandalous that the owner of The Cabinet should have been allowed to do all the damage he has done to the property – a listed building – with scant regard to the impact permanent loss of the pub would have on the local community.

“Now the community is faced with having to finance a potentially complex and costly planning appeal in order to save its last pub.”

Mike said the action group is stepping up its fundraising activities to meet the costs.

A pop-up pub night will be held at Reed Village Hall on Saturday, April 28, before a dedicated golf day which is being organised at Barkway Park Golf Club on May 11. For more on these go to www.savethecabinet.uk.

The Crow contacted Mr Newman, who said he did not know the appeal had gone live on NHDC’s website and that he leaves it for the agency to deal with.

He added: “I went to an auction and bought the property, no one came forward to say they wanted to buy it as a pub and it had been closed as a pub for years.

“I can’t fund a pub for a couple of hundred people – although it’s a lovely idea to have a village pub, it’s now my family’s home.”

For more information on the action group’s campaign go to www.savethecabinet.uk/index.htm