The Red Lion in Forton, just a short drive from Gnosall along the A519, is on the market again. The asking price is £200,000, though anyone considering a purchase should be made aware about what that figure actually buys: a building in poor condition that will need substantial work before it can be used for anything.
The pub closed in 2020. The following year it was sold to developers Vanbrugh Construction, who planned to convert the building into a single home and build six further properties on the garden and car park. That prospect prompted Forton Parish Council to act quickly, applying for the pub to be listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).
Stafford Borough Council approved the application just one day after the sale to the developers had completed.
The ACV listing was renewed earlier this year, extending community protection for a further five years. It does not block a sale, but it does give local groups the right to pause any transfer of ownership and put together a bid of their own.
What buyers are walking into
Selling agents Sidney Phillips are frank about the state of the property. Their listing describes the building as being in a state of dilapidation, requiring major investment and a complete development and refurbishment.
At £200,000, the guide price reflects that honestly. But any buyer, community group, operator or developer, would need to budget seriously for what comes next.
What this means for the community
For residents in and around Sutton and Gnosall, the renewal of the ACV listing is the most significant detail here. It means that if a buyer emerges, community groups have a window of time to consider whether a collective bid is realistic.
Rural pubs are hard to rescue, and the costs involved are real. But the listing at least keeps the door open.
Anyone with a genuine interest in the building's future (as a pub, a community venue or otherwis) would be worth talking to Forton Parish Council sooner rather than later.
Photo: Google Maps/Streetview
