A WILTSHIRE village pub could soon be given extra protection to secure its future as a vital community hub.
Bishopstone Parish Council has applied to list the White Hart on Butt Lane as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), giving locals a chance to bid if it is sold or leased long-term.
The parish council's nomination covers the pub, garden and car park.
The council said the White Hart is one of only a handful of community facilities in a village with no shop, school or public transport after 5pm.
Bishopstone Parish Council said: "The pub offers more than food and drink, hosting activities such as music events and quizzes and acting as a focal point for the village's annual Christmas Fair. It also supports the Summer Fair held on the neighbouring recreation field.
"It is a place where residents from all parts of the village meet and socialise."
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The pub also serves visitors to neighbouring sports pitches and features in proposals for Salisbury FC Ladies Team to base itself in the village.
The council said a meeting place like the White Hart makes Bishopstone more appealing.
The White Hart's ACV listing, granted in 2014, has expired, councillors said.
The application follows a change of landlord and fears over the pub's long-term future.
The council wants the White Hart to keep its current role "indefinitely", citing pubs closed elsewhere by previous owners as why protection is needed.
Tenants Edward and Heidi Holford run the village's only pub.
It is owned by the Stonegate Group.
Wiltshire Council received the parish council's nomination on July 21 and is reviewing whether the White Hart meets the criteria for ACV status under the Localism Act 2011.
To qualify, the pub must benefit the community's social wellbeing or interests and have a realistic chance of continuing to do so.
If listed, the owner must tell the council before selling the pub or granting a lease of more than 25 years.
Community groups would have time to prepare a bid, but the owner would not have to sell to them.
Wiltshire Council is taking public comments until August 18 and expects to decide by September 15.
During a June 2021 fire in Bishopstone, the White Hart provided firefighters with refreshments while the parish council enacted its emergency plan.
