School within rights on pub purchase (From Stroud News and Journal)

School within rights on pub purchase

THE Charity Commission has dismissed a complaint against the Cotswold Chine School made by local landlord Nick Beardsley.

Mr Beardsley lodged the complaint after the Box school, which is run as a charitable trust, outbid him in an attempt to buy village pub the Halfway Inn.

He claimed the school had an unfair commercial advantage as it had 'built up its wealth within an attractive tax environment'.

But the commission ruled against him, saying the Chine had acted within its rights and had done nothing untoward.

"Subject to professional advice charities may purchase commercial property as an investment," said a commission spokesman.

"We will be contacting the charity to confirm the nature of its plans and that they are in the charity's best interests.

"Whilst the commission would expect charities to take into account the views of local residents the charity's ultimately under a duty to act in the charity's best interest."

Mr Beardsley acknowledged he had lost this battle and would have to accept the Charity Commission's decision.

But he claimed the incident had raised a wider issue about the investment of charities' funds and plans to take the matter up with David Drew MP.