The Sportsman Inn Morley: Ex Leeds pub landlord delighted as order passed to make it Asset of Community Value

The Sportsman Inn in Morley was closed in March after being put up for sale by owners Admiral Taverns despite objections from the then-owners and regular punters.

Leeds City Council has now approved an application from the Friends of The Sportsman Inn to turn the pub into an Asset of Community Value (ACV). Former manager David Holmes said that this ensures that for the next six years the building must remain as an asset to the community.

There was anger when the pub was put up for sale at the start of the year, with Admiral Taverns saying the decision was made because the pub “did not have a long-term sustainable future” despite Mr Holmes’s arguments to the contrary.

Mr Holmes said that he had an offer to buy the pub accepted but that another party put in a higher offer that couldn’t be matched. The pub was closed in March but the purchase fell through, Mr Holmes said, and the building has been left empty since.

The Friends of The Sportsman Inn community group was subsequently set up by Mr Holmes and regular punter Steve Hitchcock to ensure that the venue remained a community asset.

Mr Holmes said: “We hosted the Morley Knights rugby team and did a lot to help the town. Even if people just wanted to come in for a cup of tea and a chat we were always available.

"We loved running the pub and made friends for life and wanted to keep going. It’s a shame because you look at it now and you think it should still be there for the community. People keep telling us that they miss coming for a beer and karaoke on a Saturday.”

The group got signatures of residents of the town before submitting the application to turn it into a community asset, with Mr Holmes saying he was delighted with the outcome.

He said: "I’m happy because been an asset to the community for decades and should stay that way, rather than be knocked down and turned into flats.”

Mr Holmes added that he has approached Admiral Taverns about purchasing the pub again but that the price has been put up significantly from the last amount that was agreed between the two parties.

He said: “I’m hoping they will talk to us to come to an agreement.

"I’m still fighting for the community. That’s the way it needs to go.”

A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “A nomination for The Sportsman Inn in Morley to become an Asset of Community Value (ACV) was received on September 20 2023. It was then considered by Leeds City Council in its role as the responsible authority for the List of Assets of Community Value and approved on November 24 2023, in accordance with the provisions and criteria within the Localism Act 2011 and associated Regulations.”

Admiral Taverns has been contacted for a statement.