THE future of a community pub which campaigners fought to keep open is once again under threat after the lease was not renewed.

The King Pin pub in Stevenage, built in the 1960s, closed around a month ago after leaseholders Southall decided not to renew a rolling short-term lease.

The building in Archer Road is owned by Stevenage Borough Council, which bought The King Pin from pub retailer Greene King in 2010.

Following the sale, a 400-strong petition to keep the pub open proved successful after the borough council granted a licence in 2011 but, two years on, last orders may now have been served.

Stevenage Borough Council leader Sharon Taylor said the council are working on plans to redevelop the surrounding neighbourhood, with a public consultation due to be held in the “near future”.

Carl Newport, who lives in one of the flats opposite The King Pin, said: “It will be sad to see the pub go but we’ve been in limbo for the last few years about the redevelopment so maybe this will help speed it up.”

The Comet was unable to contact either the landlords or leaseholders Southall at the time of going to press.

? A 47-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman, both from Stevenage, were arrested on suspicion of abstracting electricity on May 24. They have both been released on bail to return to Stevenage Police Station on July 15.