Community groups have six weeks to decide whether to bid for land that is up for sale near a village pub which is a designated community asset.

The land near the Waggon and Horses pub in Steeple Morden has been put on the market, and community groups now have until Monday 27 October to indicate they want to bid.

The Waggon and Horses was nominated for listing as a ‘community asset’ because it demonstrates high social value to the local community. The application was made under the government’s new rights and powers for communities as part of the Localism Act, which supports communities to take over assets of local significance.

Any community group stating an intention to bid will then have six months to put together an offer to purchase it for community use. The community bid must compete on the open market and the owner doesn’t have to accept this bid.

The aim of the Right to Bid legislation is to help communities to keep valued buildings and land used by the community, such as recreation grounds, local pubs, shop or libraries, in community use.

South Cambridgeshire District Council places a local land charge on properties and land added to the register so the owner must let the Council know when they intend to sell it and the community can be informed.

Cllr Robert Turner, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet member for planning, said: “The Right to Bid process gives communities a genuine chance to take ownership of assets that are important to their village and we are pleased to be able to help local people through the process.”

Details of the Right to Bid process and assets listed on the register in South Cambridgeshire can be found by visiting www.scambs.gov.uk/content/community-right-bid.