Dear Neighbour,

A Brief History – The Cross Keys has served the village of White Notley and surrounding area for well over 400 years, but in 2016 it closed with little prospect of reopening. The village came together to have it designated as a community asset, but donations and goodwill would only go so far. Living immediately behind the pub, I was in a position to purchase the property and transfer some land to improve parking and create the patio area as a social space in the centre of the village.

The Current Position – The Cross Keys operates rent free but despite this it has been losing money since covid. Like so many small village pubs, the large increases in operating costs have made things difficult but there are some structural issues that we could solve to make the pub viable.

The Future – If the old saying is true, that it takes a village to raise a child, it might also be said that it takes a great pub to sustain a village. A village pub should be a social space for all ages, helping to build and maintain the relationships that make a community. When I bought the pub in 2016 I knew it would require further investment and that time has come. There is an opportunity to replace the poor-quality, flat roof extension at the rear with something better, but we must get it right. I am asking everyone to help develop a plan that will ensure The Cross Keys is the community asset we all want it to be.

Kind regards,

John Player

White Notley Hall