A total of 35 Buckinghamshire pubs are deemed so important that they have been given a special protection to keep them at the centre of their communities.

Buckinghamshire Council has designated the boozers as assets of community value (ACVs) – a listing that lasts for five years.

It means the cherished venues cannot be as easily disposed of as regular pubs, giving extra protection from development, for example, if plans were put forward to turn the buildings into flats.

When listed ACVs come up for sale, community interest groups are able to trigger a six-month window of opportunity or ‘moratorium’ with the local authority. This delays an owner’s bid to dispose of a building, so that community interest groups can raise funds or develop a business plan to buy the asset.

Across Buckinghamshire, there are currently notices of intention to dispose of two ACV pubs – the Bull and Butcher in Akeley, and the Derehams Inn in Loudwater, High Wycombe.

The Derehams Inn has been a pub since 1860, but has sat derelict since 2021 as its owner tried to turn it into flats. However, there is currently a movement aiming to register a bid to buy the pub for the community, with members of the public pledging around £100,000 so far.

The ACV application for the pub reads: “The Derehams Inn is the last remaining pub in Loudwater, and although currently closed, it was the hub of the community for 20-plus years.”

The six-month moratorium period for the community group to develop a proposal and raise funds to buy the Derehams comes to an end on December 21 this year.

Other pubs on the Bucks ACV list include the Bird In Hand in Princes Risborough, ‘a warm and vibrant community space, where everyone is welcomed’.

In a statement, the pub told the Bucks Free Press: “Events and street food pop ups keep things exciting for our locals, whilst also attracting new faces each week.

“In the summer months the garden is absolutely buzzing. We proudly support our brilliant, local microbreweries, sustainable distilleries across the UK, alongside offering a huge range of delicious alcohol alternatives!”

One of the only pubs in High Wycombe to make it onto the ACV list in Bucks was the Squirrel on Squirrel Lane. Tanya and Jon from the pub told the Free Press: “We are so proud of our amazing pub. We thank all our locals for the incredible support they continue to offer throughout our journey at The Squirrel.

“We are also incredibly appreciative for those that come from far and wide to try out our delicious food and drink offering. Long may it continue!”

The full list of ACV pubs in Bucks is as follows: Fox & Pheasant (Stoke Poges); The Lions of Bledlow (Bledlow); The Squirrel (Amersham); The Swan (Great Horwood); The Golden Eagle (Ashley Green); The Bird in Hand (Princes Risborough); The Rose & Crown (Stoke Poges); The Boot (Bledlow Ridge); The Crown (Cuddington); The Lion Of Beaconsfield, (Knotty Green); The Three Crowns (Askett); The Bull (Stoke Mandeville); The Golden Cross (Saunderton); The Woolpack (Stoke Mandeville); The Bull and Butcher (Akeley); The King’s Head (Haddenham); The Plough (Cadsden); Fleur de Lis (Stokenchurch); Rising Sun (Haddenham); Derehams Inn, (Loudwater); The Eight Bells (Long Crendon); The Carpenters Arms (Stewkley); The Red Lion (Longwick); The Crown (Radnage); The Bell (Chearsley); The Unicorn (Cublington); The Squirrel (High Wycombe); Clifden Arms (Worminghall); The Rising Sun (Ickford); The Swan (Stewkley); The Fox Country Inn (Ibstone); The Rose & Crown (Wingrave); The Green Man (Mursley); The George and Dragon (Quainton); The White Swan (Whitchurch).