A WELL-LOVED pub which has recently reopened is hoping to host civil wedding ceremonies to secure the venue’s future.

The Dodford Inn closed last August due to increasing costs and the poor health of one of the owners, David Myatt.

David and his wife Gina have owned the pub since 2015 and invested in the land and building, extending the site to include a restaurant and planting thousands of trees.

However, the couple, both of retirement age, wanted to sell the pub but received no sensible offers.

Now younger members of the Myatt family have taken on the running of the pub since March and are looking to venture into the world of weddings.

A planning application has been submitted to Bromsgrove District Council to change the use of The Dodford Inn from a public house to a mixed-use venue that can hold civil ceremonies.

A document accompanying the application states: “During the enforced closure, we were inundated with enquiries for private functions.

“Based upon this trend we were encouraged to advertise the availability of the pub for private events.

“The owners are determined to maintain the business as a public house and restaurant however the current economic climate and staff availability would not make this possible in the short term.

“We would anticipate that 2024 and 2025 would confirm at least 50 bookings per annum which could easily extend to 75 with midweek activity. Weddings would dominate this activity.

“We expect that the pub would then be served by the staff for the remaining part of the week.”

Currently, the pub employs three full-time members of staff and four part-time but if the change of use application is approved, it is expected the venue will employ an extra seven full-time members of staff and an extra eight part-time staff members.