Planning law must change to stop pub closures

Planning law must be changed to enshrine the future of the British pub in law and halt closures.

That was the clear message from the second meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group, chaired by Lib Dem MP Greg Mulholland.

The Group heard from the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) and campaigners hoping to save the Coachmakers Arms in Stoke on Trent and the Vulcan in Cardiff.

"It is clear that pubs that should not close are being allowed to close," said Mulholland.

"We believe no pub should be closed without a genuine consultation and a genuine viability test.

"The fight goes on and there is an urgent need to change planning law to enshrine the future of the British pub in law and not let them convert to restaurants or cafe, which are not community facilities."

Mulholland also said there was a "real education job" to do on some local councils to help them recognise the importance of the pub in the community.

He also hit out at the use and abuse of the word "viability" by pubcos and developers. "The V word is used and abused and excuses made such as the smoking ban and the economic downturn making pubs unviable."

He added: "Ironically, some of those (using the excuses) are those who are purporting to be interested in saving the pub."

Jason Barlow and partner Sue Groch have been fighting for 14 months to save their Admiral Taverns leased Coachmakers pub from demolition to make way for a shopping centre in Stoke on Trent.

Their campaign is the first to be officially backed by the Save the Pub Group.

"We are fighting to save a big part of British heritage," said Barlow. "We are not fighting to save our pub, we are fighting to save their (community) pub."

Rachel Thomas has led the campaign to save the Vulcan in Cardiff from a similar fate. Her advice was to involve the press as much as possible, try and get celebrity supporters involved and to hold fund raising events to help sustain the campaign.

Camra advised campaigners to get in touch as it has a number of tools and resources to help save pubs including a public house viability test and access to test cases on planning law involving pubs.

MPs will now be circulated with a fact sheet on how to save pubs threatened with closure in their constituency.

Camra advice:​

• Activate locals

• Convene a local meeting

• Get local press on board

• Form a committee group

• Get people to write to planners

• Contact your MP

• Involve Camra