Pubs at risk from ‘firestorm of greed’ by London landowners

Curran chairs the sustainable community select committee at the council, which has produced a planning policy to protect pubs in the south London borough.

He said outlets are being put at risk because of landowners, adding: “It isn’t the smoking ban, it isn’t cheap alcohol, it’s down to landowners, simple as that.

“We have seen through the ruses, the tricks and the shenanigans that different freeholders can deploy to try
and turn a good pub into a block of flats.

“In Lewisham, we have numerous examples of pubs that were written off that are now successful and you are lucky to get a seat in them some nights,” he said.  

Curran reiterated his previous calls that Mayor Boris Johnson needs to review the London Plan, so all pubs are protected.

He added property owners are playing the long game to sell pubs as residential development.

His view was supported Dale Ingram, the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA’s) London pubs protection advisor.

Ingram said: “The chief cause of pub losses is to conversion and redevelopment to residential schemes.

“Registration of ‘assets of community value’ will prevent this from happening and is being used by CAMRA as a key campaigning tool.

“In addition, the pubs minister has promoted the use of ‘Article 4 directions’, which remove the ability of an owner to change
the use of a pub to offices or retail units without a planning application.”

She warned many pubs are often not put on the market and go “under the radar” of those in the locality.

Ingram said that statistics in London for 2012 show that there were 217 closures and 30 reopenings. Most of the shut pubs will never reopen, she added.
“The number of new pubs opened in London in the past year are simply in adapted retail spaces.”

Both were speaking at the Pubs Protection Summit, run by CAMRA last week.