VILLAGERS are rasing a glass to reopening their Victorian village pub, after councillors backed their community campaign for a compulsory purchase of the property.

Residents have fought for seven years to save the Rising Sun in Woodcroft, after developers failed in their bid to turn it into homes.

And now the winning line is in sight after the Forest Council gave the go ahead for officers to obtain a compulsory purchase order for the pub, which dates back to to least 1880.

Now dilapidated and overgrown, the Rising Sun closed in 2011 and was bought at auction by Worthy Developments who intended to change its use.

But villagers were determined to fight the move, and formed the Save Our Sun (SOS) action group which obtained community asset staus for the building in 2013, giving them first option on buying it if the property was ever offered for sale.

Share pledges and donations totalling more than £200,000 to buy the property and reopen it as a community pub hub were raised and the developers’ plans to convert it into homes were successfully seen off, as Forst planners and the planning inspector both dismissed the scheme.

The pub was put back on the market last year, but SOS bids to buy it were rebuffed by the owners, prompting a request to the Forest Council to inititiate a compulsory purchase.

SOS campaign chair Michelle Hayes said: “It’s a brilliant result. It is a step forward. It is not a final thing because the compulsory purchase order has to go through, which could take between three and 12 months.

“I am thrilled because it has been years of fighting. We have been getting together to buy community shares to get our pub back and make a difference for the people of the surrounding area.”

The rundown pub has remained unoccupied since its closure and is considered a blight on neighbouring properties.

SOS aims to renovate the property and reopen it as a pub hub, complete with shop and community facilities.

“Eventually, we want it to be a place where people can meet, get some good food, somewhere to drink but also to have a meeting place,” added Michelle.

“For instance, we want to put on a senior coffee morning where volunteers can collect some people who do not get out and about so that they can meet each other. We would like to put a small shop in there, a parcel drop, have community groups like mothers and toddlers coming in and services for tourism for climbers and walkers and somewhere that everyone goes to.”

A meeting of the full Forest Council unanimously backed the compulsory purchase request on October 18.

Cllr Paul Hiatt (Bream, Forest First) said: “This is another fantastic example of a community group taking control over something which is in their community and making it better.”

Cllr Patrick Molyneux (Hewelsfield and woolaston, Con) added: “This is another excellent initiative. This is very prominent on the road between Chepstow and Coleford and, indeed, the Forest of Dean.

“It has been in a pretty sad state for quite a while and I think the community have a pretty clear plan and, as long as there are no (financial) risks to the council, which there do not appear to be, they should be given every opportunity to make it a community asset.”

The Forest already includes the UK’s longest running community-run pub - the Beauchamp Arms in Dymock - which was bought by the villagers 21 years ago.

Cllr Jane Horne (Tibberton, Con) said: “The pub in Dymock is a real hub of the community. It is run by volunteers and they have learnt so much over the years and, I’m sure, if these people went and had a glass of beer with them, they might learn a lot.”