A campaign which fought to save a local pub and convert it into flats and shops is seeking tenants for the building’s official opening this autumn.

The community buyout of the Corn Exchange in Crickhowell was completed before Christmas, after a campaign to stop the building being bought by a national chain was successful.

Corn Exchange Crickhowell Ltd are now looking for independent businesses that will complement the character of Crickhowell.

Emma Bevan, liaison officer for the group, said, “We stopped The Corn Exchange being turned into a supermarket, now we want to fill the ground floor with shops which will preserve Crickhowell’s reputation as a centre for small, interesting, family-run businesses.”

The building is being converted into three shops and three flats above – and CEC Ltd say they hope to give the new tenants their keys at the end of October.

“We have had a lot of interest in both the shops and the flats already, but we want to make sure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to apply so we can get the right balance of tenants to suit the building and Crickhowell’s historic town centre.

“This is our opportunity to see the building used in the way we would wish. But we need to make some decisions now about the type of business which will go into The Corn Exchange.

“Anyone who is interested needs to get in touch quickly,” said Ms Bevan.

A clause in the company’s tenancy policy prevents a national chain from taking space in the building without the approval of shareholders – most of whom are local and were overwhelmingly opposed to the supermarket plans.

The inside of The Corn Exchange has been stripped out to reveal the underlying structure and CEC Ltd say they hope to start the conversion work in early March – with a view to opening the building again by the end of October.

CEC Ltd say interested parties can contact them by emailing [email protected].