AN appeal to save a village’s only pub from calling last orders for the final time has been launched.

Mistley Parish Council is calling for residents to help keep The Anchor, in Mistley, running as a pub for the community.

The plea comes after plans were lodged to Tendring Council earlier this year to convert the establishment into homes.

Once the parish council was made aware of the change of use application, it submitted an Asset of Community Value application in a bid to prevent the village’s last pub from turning into homes.

The Asset of Community Value application could potentially delay any pending sale to a private buyer by allowing the local community to bid on any possible sale.

Any bid a third party would put together under the application would mean The Anchor would remain as a pub, but be owned and managed by the community.

It would be a non-profit making organisation utilising any profit for the upkeep of the pub itself.

A Mistley Parish Council spokesman said: “Closing the pub may have an emotional effect that could seriously affect the future economy and community infrastructure with nowhere to meet and no focus for village life potentially resulting in a lessening of neighbourhood spirit and cohesion.

“In recent times, Mistley Rugby Club has used the premises as an after-match venue to host visiting teams, recently however, the pub has seen a decline in its patrons.

“It would be such a huge shame to Mistley to lose such a well-known, and historically, a very well used establishment.

“The Anchor Inn was once the hub of village life – a place to socialise, do business or just swap stories over a pint.”

“A key element of community life could be lost forever if this pub calls last orders for the final time.”

She said the opportunity to nominate the pub to be included on a list of Assets of Community Value, gives the community the opportunity to prepare a bid and get a business plan together.

“Once the pub is listed for sale, any interested community party will need to register their intent to bid for it. This party will then have six months to put together a bid to buy the property,” she added.

“It is therefore the obvious hope that a successful bid, from a local community consortium, can be made to ensure The Anchor remains a public house.

“The parish council will support local residents to pull together and own and run its own pub and take its plans through to fruition.”

The council is now encouraging interested residents, with its support, to set up a community pub group to lead the campaign to buy The Anchor.

She added: “If this final local pub closes its doors forever, then we are left with even more housing and even fewer local social facilities.

“We need to encourage all kinds of local trade, otherwise we will just end up as an urban housing estate with little infrastructure.”