A PETITION to save a village pub from development has attracted more than 1,000 signatures in just over a week.

Newnham Parish Council launched the petition on Change.org to save The Old House at Home, in Newnham, after the new owners applied to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to change its use to residential.

The parish council hopes to persuade the borough council to refuse permission for the application, after which it will look to purchase the pub and re-open it for the community.

Councillor June James, who set up the petition, said the council will look at acquiring a public works loan to buy the pub. She said: “We don’t have a shop or a post office and if we lose our pub we will become soulless.”

The pub has been shut since January 2015, and was bought by Red Oak Taverns in the summer last year. The petition states: “We know that the pub has been successful in the past and can be again. The village is ready to buy it and re-open it as a great local pub with good food, beers and wines. Please help us to keep our pub.”

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller has shown her support for the campaign, and urged others to sign the petition. Posting on Twitter, she said: “Show your support for our community and sign up to save one of Basingstoke’s lovely village pubs.”

Peter James, from Newnham, posted on the petition page: “The Old House at Home has supported our village fetes and parties with beer and food. To allow developers to take this away from our community is unthinkable.”

Peter Lumley, from Hook, added: “This pub has formed an important part of Newnham village life for centuries.”

Paul Gaskell, also from Hook, said: “The Old House at Home is the heart of our community.”

Charles Stewart, project manager at Red Oak Taverns, said the company did not want to comment.