CAMPAIGNERS buying a Crickhowell High Street pub to stop it being turned it into a supermarket have raised the prospect of the building standing empty for longer than planned if they don’t raise enough money quickly to convert it into shops and flats.

The Corn Exchange Crickhowell project reached its initial target of £400,000 - enough to buy the former pub - on Christmas Eve, but said it needed to get to £550,000 by the planned closing date of the campaign next Tuesday (January 5) if they are to finish the conversion within the 9 month target they have set themselves.

So they are inviting new investors to a drop-in session this Saturday (January 2) at Crickhowell Resource and information centre. The invitation reads: “Buying The Corn Exchange but not being able to finish it quickly would do nothing for Crickhowell. We don’t want it to stand empty a moment longer than it has to. Please don’t leave it to someone else to bring the Corn Exchange back to life.”

Acting chair of Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd, Dean Christy, said: “Reaching our initial planned target of £400,000 was a fantastic Christmas present for Crickhowell - but what will really make it a Happy New Year will be securing the funds to finish the job”

Anyone wanting to invest in the community buyout or track the progress of the fundraising can do so at www.seedrs.com/corn-exchange-crickhowell