Residents will run their own pub.

Locals in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean are behind the co-operative plans to take over the former Bevendean Hotel in Hillside.

After their business plan was approved by the landowners it will become the first co-op run pub on a city estate in the country – and one of only a handful of inns run by its patrons.

The site, which was closed by police after a series of violent incidents in 2010, was bought by East Brighton Trust, the successor company to the eb4u NewDeal for Communities body.

The trust is renovating the first floor into flats but asked locals what they want to do with the ground floor.

It announced earlier this week the plan for the pub, known as The Bevvy, was its preferred option of three.

Before its closure in May 2010 The Bevendean Hotel, which operated for 85 years, was the only pub in a community of about 18,000 people in the surrounding estates.

A group of residents created a business plan and believe they need to raise about £200,000 to make the dream a reality.

This will partly be done by membership shares.

The scheme will involve creating a café, a pub area, a small meeting space and a community kitchen, which would be used to teach people about healthy eating.

More news from The Argus

The Argus: Daily Echo on Facebook - facebook.com/southerndailyecho Like us on Facebook

The Argus: Google+ Add us to your circles on Google+