CAMRA shares support for Heritage Pubs Bill

Presented to the House of Commons yesterday (24 April) by Dudley South MP Marco Longhi, the bill was spurred by the destruction of the Crooked House pub and aims to better protect community pubs in the wake of the scandal. 

CAMRA pub and club campaigns director Gary Timmins said: “We welcome this proposal from Marco Longhi MP, the support he and West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, have provided for the protection of heritage pubs has been vital in helping to save the country’s historic pubs.  

Tragic destruction 

“After the tragic and deliberate destruction of Crooked House, great work has been done to order the re-construction of the heritage pub.”

The Crooked House pub in Himley, West Midlands, which dated back to the 18th Century, burnt down in August last year in a suspected arson attack, for which multiple people were arrested, and was subsequently demolished.

In England, changing the use of a pub or demolishing one requires planning permission, but figures compiled by CAMRA showed that, last year, up to a third of demolitions may be happening without the required planning permission.

Following the Crooked House incident, CAMRA urged the case highlighted the drastic need for better planning enforcement laws to protect and save pubs around the UK.

Stronger laws

“This must never be allowed to happen again, and stronger planning enforcement laws must be implemented by the Government to prohibit any more vital, historic pubs being lost again.  

“This is why CAMRA supports the Heritage Pubs Bill and why we are calling on the Government to give its support to make sure this bill becomes law”, Timmins continued.

Earlier this month, the owners of the Crooked House pub requested to reconstruct the pub in a new location as part of its rebuilding appeal​, citing the existing plot as “not viable”.

Timmins added: “We are also campaigning for the Scottish and Welsh Governments to significantly strengthen their planning laws so that demolition or conversion of a community local always requires planning permission.”