PROTECTING LOCAL PUBS
Sir Nicholas Soames, MP for Mid Sussex and Councillor Garry Wall, Leader of the District Council have been successful in persuading the Government to strengthen protection for local pubs.
Responding to concerns from local residents they lobbied the Department for Communities and Local Government Minister, Kris Hopkins MP, to change the current regime so that in the future pubs cannot be knocked down or changed into shops without planning permission. Their work was triggered by the closure of The Ship Inn, Cuckfield and its change of use to a convenience store.
The Minister announced in the House of Commons on Monday, 26th January, during the debate on the Infrastructure Bill, that he will change the rules so that the owners of pubs registered as Assets of Community Value will need planning permission before they can change how they are used. This will enable the District Council to take account of the views of local residents when considering planning applications.
Mid Sussex MP, Sir Nicholas Soames said; “The proposed change is very welcome and will give local residents a real say in protecting their local pubs. I am very glad that the Government has listened to local residents and recognises the value of local community pubs, particularly in rural areas.”
The Leader of Mid Sussex District Council, Councillor Garry Wall said; “I am very grateful for the support of Sir Nicholas in securing a meeting with the Minister, Kris Hopkins, so we could tell him directly about our concerns. The Minister was very receptive to our ideas and clearly understands the importance of local people having their say.”
Infrastructure Bill Debate
House of Commons
Monday, 26th January, 2015
Stephen Williams MP; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government: It is not, because the planning use class orders deal with the totality of asset use classes right across the country. What most of us would be concerned about—whether in Northampton or Bristol—is whether the assets of real value to our constituents, such as the pubs that are truly popular and provide a wide community benefit, whether or not they have a community hall, are at risk. That is more important than dealing with every single pub, whatever the circumstances. If my hon. Friend listens to what I have to say, I hope he will be reassured.
I draw attention to the written ministerial statement laid today by me and the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley (Kris Hopkins), who is responsible for community pubs, on the introduction of secondary legislation at the earliest opportunity to build on the existing protections to help communities preserve those pubs that benefit the community the most.
As part of our steps to strengthen community rights, we have already given local people the opportunity to nominate assets to be placed on a local register of assets of community value—those assets that are most important to them. More than 1,800 sites have been listed in this way, over 600 of which have been pubs, making them by far the most popular type of asset to be listed.
Sir Nicholas Soames: This news will be warmly welcomed in Mid Sussex, where we have had some real trouble on this front. Are there any criteria in the Minister’s excellent proposal relating to what councils may put on their community asset lists to be protected?
Stephen Williams: The Localism Act 2011, the regulations, the guidance issued by the Department and statements by Ministers are quite clear that all that needs to be done to prove that an asset is of community value is for 21 members of the public to sign a declaration to the local authority—to Mid Sussex district council, for example—saying that the asset is important to them. As long it is not a private residence or a form of other asset precluded in the Localism Act 2011, the council must list it an asset of community value, and there should be no gold-plating of the regulations as they are currently drafted. It is a very straightforward procedure, so I encourage my right hon. Friend to encourage his communities to adopt this policy.
The listing allows the local community the opportunity to develop a bid to purchase the asset, should it come up for sale. We have seen some positive examples in the case of pubs—the Angler’s Rest in the Peak district and the Ivy House in Camberwell, for example—where listing has helped to prevent the pubs from closing. We want to do more.