Since the end of the recession, the majority of sectors within the British economy have enjoyed a significant upturn in fortune as consumers once more begin to accumulate disposable income. However, within the pubs sector, the story remains somewhat grim with the Campaign for Real Ale’s latest data showing that an average of 31 pubs per week have closed so far this year – an increase of five per week since 2013.
In part, CAMRA blames the ease with which developers can either demolish pubs in order to redevelop the site, or convert them for other commercial uses, frequently retail. For this reason, CAMRA has called for a legal reform which it hopes would protect communities from the loss of their pubs.
Since 1995, use class legislation has allowed pubs in England and Wales to be transformed into shops without prior planning permission, yet CAMRA believes the time is now ripe for these laws to be reconsidered.
CAMRA spokesman Tom Stainer believes that “gaps” within planning legislation are leaving community pubs extremely vulnerable to aggressive takeover measures by retail operators.
He says; “Pubs are increasingly being targeted by those wishing to take advantage of the absence of proper planning control.
“A pub is an entirely different proposition to a convenience store, estate agent or funeral directors and the planning system needs updating to reflect this fact.
“It is time for the government to stop standing by while pubs are being targeted due to gaps in planning law.”
It seems that CAMRA may have a great deal of support in this push for greater assistance for pubs, as 44 Members of Parliament have already signed an early day motion to declare their support for the industry body’s latest campaign. Furthermore, areas such as Hereford, Chesterfield, Harrogate and many more around the country have all recently hit the headlines due to local residents launching campaigns to stop their locals being converted into supermarkets – an indication that many would welcome a revision of planning law to protect community pubs.
Yet this issue is not as clean cut as it first appears as, due to high levels of competition in the sector, reduced consumer spending and changing social patterns, pub closures are to an extent relatively unavoidable.
Communities minister Stephen Williams voiced his concerns that, should the current legislation be revised, changing the use class of buildings would become more restrictive and thus lead to “more empty, boarded up buildings” within town centres.
Instead, he suggests; “The best solution is for CAMRA and campaigners to keep using new rights to list their favourite locals as community assets – nearly 500 pubs have already been protected.
“The government has also cut business taxes for community pubs, abolished the unpopular beer and alcohol duty escalators, axed the cider tax and made a pint 8 pence cheaper than under the beer duty plans of the previous administration.”
With supermarkets continuing to eye up town centre sites for convenience expansion, it seems that pubs may remain under threat for some time to come. However, with a risk of hiking vacancy rates with a legislation change, the government has certainly been placed in a tricky situation.
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