The six-week consultation proposes that the council will allow a development only if:
■ The pub has received no interest on a free-of-tie basis and is without a restrictive covenant for 12 months
■ All reasonable efforts have been made to preserve the pub, including diversification into other areas
■ Adequate alternative pub provision exists, or a replacement provision is made available, within 400 metres’ walking distance, to provide one pub per 750 working-age adults
■ It has been otherwise demonstrated that the local community no longer needs the pub and its loss would not damage the availability of local commercial or community facilities.
The council also noted that, at the moment, developers do not need permission to set up a restaurant, office or shop but permission is needed to convert back to a pub.
It said six pubs have been lost to restaurant uses in the past 10 years, so the council has proposed that it will consider reinstating former pubs from their current status as shops, banks, estate agents, cafés, restaurants and ‘non-residential institutes’ such as creches.
The council said that there are 84 pubs in Cambridge, but 21 have closed in the past five years. It appointed consultant GVA Humberts Leisure to gather evidence to guide future planning decisions around pub closures.
The consultation runs until 5pm on 27 July.
Go to http://cambridge.jdi-consult.net/ldf/ to respond. Representations received, along with the final version of the guidance, will be reported in the autumn.
The Campaign for Real Ale’s campaigns manager Emily Ryans welcomed the move and said she hopes other councils will follow Cambridge’s lead.