Campaign to reopen beloved former pub celebrates £300,000 grant award, reports Alice Kemp-Habib

The Step opened in Myddleton Road in 2011 and was central to the high street’s revival (credit Elizabeth Bell)

Campaigners in Bowes Park have won a £300,000 grant to help revive a local pub.

The Step in Myddleton Road closed in March 2020 and was purchased by property developers who gutted the interior, with the intention of turning it into flats. However, the planning application received more than 500 objections and community benefit society (CBS) status was later established in 2021 as part of a campaign to buy the building from its current owners, renovate the premises, and ultimately reopen it as a pub.

Now, the CBS has secured £300,000 from the government’s Community Ownership Fund. The award is conditional on the group securing £250,000 in donations or loans, which it is well on the way to doing with locals having pledged more than £177,000.

Dan Jones, chair of the Save The Step campaign, said: “We are delighted to have received this crucial investment from the government that will enable us to take a big step towards reopening what was once the beating heart of our close-knit community.”

One of only three projects to be awarded the grant in London, and the only one in North London, the award is the highest amount available to any single project and is designed to put local institutions back into the hands of their communities.

Myddleton Road, a once bustling high street, fell into disrepair in the 1990s but has witnessed substantial regeneration in the last ten years. It now hosts a monthly market, is home to a community garden and won the London category of the Great British High Street of The Year Awards in 2016.

The Step, which opened in 2011, was a much-loved staple in the area, previously hosting live music, quiz nights and art exhibitions. After the gutting of its interior, however, the property requires significant refurbishment. In addition to the pledges and government grant, the CBS needs to raise an additional £73,000 in order to move its project forward.

Dan said: “The support from locals has been overwhelmingly positive throughout this campaign and we are confident we will be able to raise the final funds to make this project a reality. It’s been a lot of hard work, but ultimately has proved what a special and supportive community we have here in Bowes Park.”

Read more about the campaign and pledge your support:

Visit savethestep.com

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