THE owner of the Five Bells pub at Nether Wallop near Stockbridge has completed urgent repairs after Test Valley Borough Council issued a legal notice last year.

The Urgent Works Notice instructed the pub’s owner to carry out vital work to the Grade II listed property to prevent further deterioration and to keep it weatherproof.

Planning portfolio holder, Cllr Nick Adams-King, said: “As a local pub, the Five Bells is a valuable community asset and it is therefore important that the council seeks to work with the owner and village residents to ensure its long-term future.

“The condition of the building has deteriorated significantly since it closed in 2013, which is why we took the decision to serve the notice before it got any worse. Council officers have recently inspected the building and are content that the owner has complied with the notice.”

He added: “We are now considering whether further repairs are needed as well as potential courses of action.”