VILLAGERS who saw a popular pub and a community hub cafe close within months of each other have been fighting to reopen them.

The CAMRA-award winning Railway Inn and the George Cafe in Newnham – which are just yards apart in the centre of the village – both closed in the last six months.

But residents have succeeded in having them listed as community assets after taking the matter to the Forest Council.

And it looks like the campaign to prevent the pub disappearing has succeeded, with a recent announcement on the Railway Inn’s Facebook page that it will be reopening under new management with a relaunch party on Saturday, September 1.

Community asset status allows campaigners to be the preferred bidder in the event of the buildings being offered for sale, which the pub has been since the start of the year when previous landlord David Price called time on running the Railway.

Newnham Parish Council obtained community asset status for the Station Road pub – voted CAMRA’s best cider pub for five years running – in May, while residents fighting to reopen the George as the ReNewnham group were succesful last month.

ReNewnham was started by residents after the sudden closure of the George Cafe in April, which had long been a meeting place for villagers and visitors.

“Several attempts have been made to speak with the owners of the George Café, the Camphill Village Trust, but the CVT has not made itself available,” said ReNewnham spokeswoman Sarah Tempest.

The trust runs the Grange Village and Oaklands Park communities for people with learning disabilities on the edge of the village.

Sarah added: “The building that housed The George Café has just been added to the list of community assets by the Forest of Dean District Council and ReNewnham hope to buy the building to run it as a community business.

“Newnham is one of the Forest of Dean’s most beautiful villages and it has some wonderful, thriving shops and outlets, but services have been steadily declining.”