List your Local
The UK is losing around 20 pubs every week. Many of these are still viable businesses but property developers can make a fast profit by turning them into offices, housing, supermarkets, fast food outlets, betting shops etc…and many of these can be done without planning permission, leaving local communities powerless to stop them.
Listing a pub as an Asset of Community Value with the local council can make a difference in preventing a pub from closing. It gives extra protection from developers. Owners cannot sell listed pubs without the community being told and if it does go up for sale the listed status gives the power to postpone any sale for up to six months. This gives time for pub supporters to build a campaign to save the pub. Councils can also take the listed status into account when considering planning applications against a pub.
Who can nominate a pub for listing?
Unincorporated groups that can demonstrate support of 21 local people, Parish Councils, Neighbourhood Forums and Community Interest Groups such as charities and non-profit making community companies. CAMRA has national figures showing 114 successfully nominated pubs where the local council has published the nominating body. It shows that 62% were nominated by parish councils, 24% by unincorporated groups set up to save a pub and 14% by other means including town councils and residents associations. What this shows is the system is working at local community level.
If you feel that your local is under threat, the information required to list a pub as a community asset is on your local authority website (see below). Look up the section on Assets of Community Value or Right to Bid and download a nomination form. If there isn‘t a form available contact CAMRA, we can provide you with one. Then fill in the form with as much detail as possible on why the pub should be listed and demonstrate that at least 21 people support the listing. This check list of possible evidence of community use might also help. Follow the council website instructions as to where to submit the form.
Since the scheme began in 2012, these new powers have been used to stop pubs being sold off and the saw the first community takeover of a pub in March 2013. Be pro-active, you could be the one to help save your local…and there‘s plenty of support and advice from the following: