Camra slams planning loopholes

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has announced that 600 pubs are now listed as having community value, but says the government is still not doing enough to protect public houses, writes Lia Sanders.

CAMRA says that two pubs a week are being converted into shops (Photo: Wiki)

After a campaign led by the beer industry lobbyists, local groups registered 600 pubs in England as Assets of Community Value (ACV).

However, CAMRA says there are still planning loopholes that need to be closed, with 31 pubs in England shutting every week and two pubs every week being converted into supermarket convenience stores.

The current system allows pubs to be demolished or converted into shops or businesses without applying for planning permission.

Tom Stainer, a spokesman for CAMRA, said: “The fact that pubs are the most listed community asset shows just how much people value their local pub. Planning permission is required to convert a convenience store into a pub but no permission is required to convert a pub into a convenience store.

“It is surely not right that a supermarket convenience store is given greater planning protection than a valued community pub.”

The ACV scheme allows local groups to nominate community assets that they are allowed to bid for if they come up for sale. This does not give the group a right to buy and is no protection against demolition or change of use.

Despite being listed as ACV and an 18-month campaign by supporters, the Golden Harp in Maidenhead, Berkshire was converted into a Tesco Express this summer.

CAMRA are running a “Pubs Matter” campaign, aimed at ensuring that planning permission is always required to demolish or convert a pub to other uses.