The Cock Inn, in Combe, could finally reopen after closing in 2022.
Proposals have been submitted to West Oxfordshire District Council seeking permission for major refurbishment works, including a new extension and creation of a shop facility.
The Cock Inn, in Combe, will be run by the owners of the Bull gastropub in nearby Charlbury.
The plans include the demolition of existing rear extensions, the construction of replacement extensions, interior refurbishment works, landscaping and a new shop. Planning documents state the changes are intended to facilitate the expansion and reopening of the public house.
The pub has been closed since 2022 after being purchased by billionaire property developer Sir Anthony Gallagher’s Lionhearth Group.
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The Cock Inn at Combe had the windows boarded up after being left in disrepair (Image: Don Redding)
Despite securing planning permission for renovation works, the pub remained shuttered and fell into disrepair.
In May 2025, ownership changed hands when businessman Rafic Said, a senior managing director at investment firm Blackstone, became director of the company that owns the pub.
The prolonged closure prompted concern among villagers, with more than 770 people signing a petition calling for answers about the pub’s future. Campaigner Don Redding previously described the venue as a potential “thriving hub at the centre of village life”.
The latest proposals have raised hopes that the much-missed pub could once again become a focal point for the community. The move comes as Public House Group’s Charlbury venue, The Bull, continues to receive national acclaim and was recently named as one of Britain’s Most Romantic Hotel 2026 by Time Out.
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