Members of a campaign group aimed at saving the last pub in a village near High Wycombe are hoping to raise £500,000 to buy its freehold and turn the 17th-century building into a community pub.

In an effort that has been lent further urgency by new plans to turn Loudwater’s only other empty pub, The Happy Union, into a housing block, members of The Derehams Inn Community Group have been focused on “saving” the once-popular boozer since old landlord Graham Sturgess sold it to Derco Properties in 2021.

The London-based developer tried to demolish the structure and build new flats in its place last year but was met with refusal by Buckinghamshire Council after a successful campaign to register The Derehams as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), giving it special protection.

Among these protections is a moratorium period on its sale – although the site is listed on Rightmove for offers on its leasehold in excess of £500,000, it is currently subject to a temporary suspension of action to allow the group to raise finances, develop a business plan and make a bid.

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Lead campaigners Mick Parsons, Richard Smith and co will have until December 21 to “develop a proposal and raise the funds needed” to buy the pub – and its full steam ahead for the Wycombe locals, who laid out some of their plans in a committee meeting this month, following the recent property listing.

Mick and Richard urged supporters to contribute towards a “fighting fund” to cover remaining costs by becoming subscription-paying members or by making a one-off donation – helping them to reach a target of £250,000 by pitching in on £50 shares, alongside available funding which would help them to reach the £500,000 total.

They also said they are “in the process of making contact” with Derco Properties and encouraged attendees to pitch in on a questionnaire live on the campaign website, assessing “what sort of facilities people would want” a community-owned pub to have.

Other community-owned pubs in the area include The Garibaldi in Bourne End, The Jolly Farmer in Cookham Dean and The Boot in Bledlow Ridge.

The trend, which is increasing in popularity as boozers across the country buckle under economic strain, is described by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) as “a new and innovative way for community groups to save their local from closure”.