The Winning Horse
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September 2025
'Eyesore' Surrey pub set to be transformed into houses despite community backlash (GetSurrey)
The pub has been shut since 2020.
Emily Dalton, Local Democracy Reporter 14:29, 9 SEP 2025
The plans were green-lit despite fierce opposition from residents who argued the former pub could have been reborn as a community hub.
Plans will see the former pub partly demolished and transformed into two semi-detached houses, with a new four-bed detached property built at the back. Members of the Elmbridge Borough Council planning committee approved the application on September 8.
Nearly 80 objections landed on the council’s desk, raising concerns about everything from traffic and fire risk to the loss of “the last community asset” in that part of the village.
Others claimed the pub could have been revived to create jobs, reopened as a shop or repurposed as a community centre.
Douglas Edwards, speaking in objection at the planning meeting that a viable community-backed business plan existed to bring the pub back to life.
“Successful community pubs exist across the country,” he said. “It’s not just a planning decision, it’s about retaining and revitalising as well as protecting the last community asset in Claygate.”
But officers stressed the council does not have a five-year housing supply, meaning new homes carry extra weight in planning decisions.
They also pointed out that the pub has been closed for more than five years, marketed for two and no community group had raised the funds to buy it under Asset of Community Value status.
The developer’s agent, David Lane, said: “It is not realistic for this property to remain a pub [...] and the overwhelming interest has been for residential use.”
Some councillors were swayed. Cllr Gill Coates described the scheme as “applaudable”. Cllr Mary Marshall slammed the applications as a “sad misuse of land”.
She described the proposal as being “completely out of character of the surrounding area” of mostly small units and social housing in terraced houses and small cottages.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Mike Rollings said admitted the building is currently “an eyesore” and subject to vandalism. He reasoned that although community groups want to reclaim the former pub, the planning committee have to judge the merits of the application right in front of them. Cllr Rollings added: “I’m struggling whether there are any good grounds to refuse it.”
Campaign to save pub reaches crucial stage (BBC News)
| (Image description: Geoff Eden, a bald man wearing a blue and white short sleeved shirt, smiles into the camera as he stands in front of the green tiled facade and white window frame of the former Winning Horse pub in Claygate.)
(Image caption: Geoff Eden wants the former pub to become a community asset rather than housing) |
Bob Dale BBC News, South East 8 September 2025, 06:12 BST
A campaign to save a former pub in Surrey has reached a crucial stage.
The Winning Horse in Claygate, closed in 2019, with plans to convert it into housing being discussed at a meeting of Elmbridge Borough Council.
Efforts by some local people to have it listed as an asset of community value were unsuccessful, but the Claygate Community Benefit Society wants to turn the building into a hub that may include a cafe and workshop.
The council has been approached for comment.
| (Image description: Leo Tye, a woman with short grey hair and wearing a purple dress, leans on the window of the former Winning Horse pub.)
(Image caption: Leo Tye says the pub has associations with nearby Sandown Racecourse) |
Geoff Eden, who lives nearby, told BBC Radio Surrey: "It had timber-clad walls, a bit of a wet dog smell about it, with lovely timber features and just a general historic feel to it.
"The society has been looking at different functions we could adapt over time, more of a community driven pub, something with a bit more purpose than just a drinking establishment.
"We've talked about lots of different things, from dog grooming to warm hubs."
| (Image description: A brass sculpture of a horse's head sits on a table covered with a purple cloth at a community event, with publicity literature from the Save the Winner campaign scattered around and pinned up on boards around it.)
(Image caption: Campaigners trying to save the building as a community hub have taken their fight to the public) |
Leo Tye, who has lived in Claygate since 1980, said the pub's name came from its association with the nearby racecourse.
"Back in Victorian times when this pub was built, there was a race track at the end of the road for training horses to race at Sandown.
"The facade was rebuilt in 1927, so there's been a hostelry here for a long time."
The planning meeting is to take place at 19:00 BST, with officers recommending the housing scheme be approved.
March 2025
WINNING HORSE PROJECT IS YET TO LEAVE THE STABLE
The project to buy the closed Winning Horse pub and turn it into a community hub remains firmly in the stable – the Claygate Community Benefit Company (CCBS), set up to pursue the plan, sadly reports that it has hardly moved in the past few months.
The group had hoped to apply to the Community Ownership Fund for help in purchasing the building, which remains on the market at an asking price of £595,000 plus VAT – but the government recently closed this fund.
Although a considerable setback, the CCBS team has not given up and has been pursuing other funding: it is preparing a bid to the Nattonal Lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund, as well as looking at raising funds through a Community Share issue and fundraising events.
The team is also working its way through the list of people who offered their services last year. Anyone who has yet to hear from the team and would like to be involved at this stage, please email claygatecbs@gmail.com.
It is too soon for offers of help with the refurbishment, but CCBS would like to hear from anyone with professional expertise, and time, to help with finance, project management, property acquisition, etc. Scan the QR code to join our mailing list for further news and updates.
CCBS Management Team: Geoff Eden, Jenny French, Donna Holt, Leo Tye, Pam Jarvis, Andy Maddocks, Mary Marshall, Mark Sugden
February 2025
| To confirm the minutes of the 5th January 2025 Main Parish Committee meeting. |
| … It was noted that the condition for CIL Fund award for The Winning Horse project agreed at the Parish Council meeting on 16th May 2024 could not now be met, due to the withdrawal of the government’s Community Ownership Fund, so a fresh application by the Claygate Community Benefit Society would be required… |
| (extract from Parish Council meeting, 27th February 2025, item 5) |
December 2024
| To receive a report from the Health and Wellbeing and Leisure Advisory Committee. |
| This group haven’t met for some time but Cllr French informed the Parish Council that the Winning Horse project is still ongoing and they are waiting for funds. |
| (extract from Parish Council meeting, 5th December 2024, item 12) |
October 2024
HUGE EFFORT NEEDED TO SAVE WINNING HORSE
Much work has been going on to rescue the closed Winning Horse pub in Coverts Road, which is currently on the market for £595,000 plus VAT, with a further £500,000 needed to refurbish the building.
The newly formed Claygate Community Benefit Society submitted an application to the government's Community Ownership Fund for a grant to purchase the pub earlier this year and use it to benefit the community. But the general election prevented this when the Fund was withdrawn until further notice.
This has given the Claygate team more time to plan and develop the project, and work out how best to use the building. But a huge effort will be needed to raise the funds to make it happen.
An online survey by the team to gauge support for its proposal won a fantastic response, with nearly everyone in favour of saving The Winning Horse to provide a community venue for the village. There were some great words of encouragement from local people, many of whom had been regular customers at “The Winner”, together with many offers of practical help and interest in supporting the project financially.
The team will be following up all these offers and will certainly need practical help in refurbishing the building if it succeeds in purchasing it. The team is keen to hear from anyone who could help with social media and communications, as engaging with the local and wider community will be vital to the success of the project. Email claygatecbs@gmail.com if you can help. For further updates please follow the "Save The Winner" Facebook page.
June 2024
Word is getting around of an exciting new community project to purchase the Winning Horse pub and transform it into a thriving community venue to revitalise the Coverts Road area of Claygate.
The idea to use the derelict building to benefit the local community came from the Claygate: The Way Forward’s working groups. A separate group has now been formed to develop the proposal to purchase the building for the community.
The project involves an application to the Government’s Community Ownership Fund for the a grant towards the purchase price and refurbishment costs. Match-funding of a further £300,000 will need to be raised locally to secure the funding.
The timescale is tight as it has just been announced that, because of the General Election, the final round of the Community Ownership Fund has been brought forward from 2025 to June 2024!
So far the group has:
- Joined the Plunkett Foundation to get advice and support for the community purchase
- Set up the Claygate Community Benefit Society and registered it with the FCA.
- Secured £2,000 seed funding from Claygate Parish Council for building valuation and survey costs
- Secured a further £50,000 Community Infrastructure Levy grant from Claygate Parish Council subject to securing the Community Ownership grant.
- Produced a draft Business Plan detailing the services and facilities the venue could offer.
The next step is to demonstrate there is support from the community for the project.
May 2024
- PARISH COUNCIL ACHIEVEMENT 23RD MAY 2024: "Approved £2k seed funding grant—50% matched by the Claygate Community Benefit Society Ltd (CCBS)—towards valuation and survey costs of The Winning Horse Project."
- PARISH COUNCIL ACHIEVEMENT 23RD MAY 2024: "Approved £50,000 CIL grant to The Winning Horse Project, contingent on a grant of £890,000 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities."
