Local action needed to Protect our Pubs

Can our own area follow suit in protecting our public houses?

The loss of many of our public houses such as those previously raised here is often caused by poor planning controls and a lack of understanding by local councils. Neighbourhoods, villages and communities are losing their public houses at an alarming rate. This has also been brought to the forefront of many minds following the national news coverage of the 'Crooked House' fiasco at Himley in the West Midlands.

The famous Crooked House, a historic pub, was sold and within days it was burnt down and demolished to the ground without it seems any planning permissions or input from the local community. An investigation is now underway and there have been arrests, while all that remains is a pile of bricks.

A threat that could devastate communities
The anger and realisation that our pub heritage is under a threat few had realised has pulled local people together to look at what may be at risk under their very noses. 

A West Midlands Combined Authority campaign along with CAMRA's List Your Local campaign to give greater protection to heritage pubs has received over 155 nominations in just three weeks.
The same needs to be instigated in all areas throughout the country.

List Your Local
The List Your Local campaign encourages residents to submit applications for Historic England and Asset of Community Value listing.

As well as reviewing historical sites, the review also explores how local plans can be better used to protect pubs and to ensure those that are illegally shut down or demolished are rebuilt "brick by brick".

Could this be extended?
Yes, and it is hoped so, perhaps in Test Valley and Basingstoke & Deane areas, as well as reaching out nationally.

BUT FIRST – firstly we need to identify the  pubs mostly at risk, those heritage pubs, community estate pubs, roadhouses.
Please contact us if you would like to help. Use the Contact Form.

Also previous article here:
CHANGES TO PLANNING REGULATIONS NEEDED

Changes to Planning Regulations needed

In the first six months of 2023 it is reported that 96 pubs in the UK were lost to conversion or demolition of which it is believed an incredible 31 had been developed or demolished without the relevant planning permissions.

A much loved Whitchurch pub – lost forever

Planning protection 

Those who believe in protecting our local pubs have always faced an uphill struggle in dealing with the actions of those who see the public house as simply an investment in property rather than being part of our country's local and national social culture.
In addition local Councils are not always consistent in how they enforce pub protection and there are calls for government intervention to provide clearer guidance.

CAMRA National Director Gary Timmins said:

"These are national policies in England and yet the variation that our campaigners see between councils with the strongest pub protection policies, and those that view pubs as an inconvenience, is shocking."

A local example
Whitchurch in Hampshire is a clear example of how its local pub culture has been decimated. The importance of the public house to this rural country town goes deep into its heritage, economic vitality and social cohesion, yet closures have taken place with little ability of the local community to have a meaningful say.

The Red House left to deteriorate

Most recent pub closure has been of the popular Red House, a 17th-century Grade II Listed Building whose publicans had served the community for over 200 years. The latest owner obtained planning permission to build three houses on some of the land with the promise to invest the profits into renovating the pub and investing in the Red House business.

Instead, once they had permission, that promise evaporated into thin air and the once thriving pub was allowed to decay, some say deliberately and that it was the plan all along. 

His subsequent application to convert the pub to housing was at first refused but became the subject of an Appeal which the Planning Inspectorate disappointingly allowed. Over 200 years of community value that had been built up by a succession of custodians was being converted into financial gain for the owner.
The bulldozers and builders now hover.

Value not supported by planners
Its value to the town had been recognised by an Asset of Community Value (ACV), which was effective in that it delayed the application and allowed a local group to make a bid. But that wasn't enough.
Neither was its status as a Listed Building, nor its position within the Conservation Area, or the recognition of business need in the Neighbourhood Plan. The death came after the owner lodged an Appeal and a Planning Inspector over-ruled all these policies as well as ignoring the hundreds of local objectors.

Protection needs strengthening
It is clear a community's tools for retaining its amenities require strengthening. Local Councils need to be more supportive and much more active and need to be calling for stronger legislation.

Regrettably to achieve that seems like hitting a head against a brick wall. 

In the same town
Meanwhile in the same town it took nearly three months just to get an item on the local Town Council's Agenda to ask local councillors to nominate another pub as an ACV. 
The Kings Arms is another Grade II Listed Building, and one that belongs to a remote PubCo. It has a superb publican and family, provides excellent service, and is much loved by the local community.

Instead, whilst being generally supportive, the Council wanted volunteers to carry out all the 'office/administrative' work and to pay for the legal documentation even though it is best placed to do so itself.
It is understood the Council recently paid to obtain an Award for itself (from local taxpayers funds) to say what good service it provides. Did that send a message as to where priorities lie? Make your own mind up.

Local volunteers have now done all the leg work and paid the fees out for the ACV documentation from their own pockets. The outcome is still awaited.

Inconsistencies
Recent You Gov surveys have shown that 75% of people feel the impact of pubs to community life is positive with 81% agreeing they were important in bringing people together, and 68% feeling they combat loneliness, all aspects local Councillors and Councils should be recognising, but there is inconsistency in commitment.

A success story in other parishes.
To be fair some other Parish Councils have been very supportive by making successful ACV applications on their community's behalf.

The Plough is now thriving

In nearby Longparish the Parish Council gained an ACV and backed the community buy-out of a closed pub through Public Loan Board finance. The Plough Inn is now a thriving hub of the village owned by local people and bringing in visitors from afar.
Economic vitality and social value has been kept within the community.

It won a national award for these efforts much due to the hard work of the Longparish Parish Council, and the local community.

In Whitchurch's neighbour, Overton, the importance of the ACV was recognised when a change of use planning application was submitted for the Red Lion. The Parish Council had an ACV registered. Again the pub is now thriving – as a pub.

Other Town/Parish/Borough Councils should learn from this and work with their local residents.

The Crooked House effect
Are things looking up?  

The recent case of the historic Crooked House near Dudley has acted as a catalyst for action on at least calling into question the failures that seem to be inherent within the planning system and those who administer it.

The Crooked House, known as the Britains 'wonkiest inn', made national headlines in August when it suffered a suspected arson fire and was then demolished without permission less than two days later. It had been sold by Marstons just weeks earlier – as a pub. Other pubs have also suffered mysterious fires which are often followed by planning applications for housing or other uses. 

Thousands are now calling for the Crooked House pub to be rebuilt with calls for a brick-by-brick rebuild.
The local MP has taken the case to Parliament for a debate on improving legislation to protect pubs.

Shocking figures released
The shocking figures from CAMRA showing that over 30 pubs may have been demolished or converted without planning permission in the first six months of 2023 is evidence that legislation must be strengthened and enforcement taken when the regulations are broken.

It will be a tough ask when the failures to support our pub heritage start at the very bottom and go all the way to the top. If the situation does not change there will be few, if any, community public houses left.

People care about their local social and cultural amenities, or communities die.

Whitchurch Pub Race – Will it return?

The question has been asked: 

Will the famous Whitchurch Pub Race return in 2024?

The 'Beer Race', 'latterly the 'Pub Race', is part of Whitchurch folklore, having first been arranged – um – long before anyone can remember. Historically, teams of around six, attired in fancy dress and linked together with a rope, would race from pub to pub enjoying a beer at each.

Crowds came out to support those running – or staggering – and filled the buckets, raising funds for local good causes. The fun was massive and continued into the evenings with music in the local pubs. 

In more recent years it has been organised more intermittently and as more than half the original pubs have closed different strategies and routes have had to be developed, often using pop-up drinking stops. Covid also put the event on hold but is it now to make a return? 

Posting on a local Facebook page, a local Whitchurch resident, asked

"...who wants the Pub Race next year?"

The strength of support for the event was soon apparent with several offers of help, and early ideas of provisional teams started to appear. 

So ... is it time to start planning those costumes? 

For now its a case of watch this space, but with the question asked there is a growing hope for a 2024 return.

Wouldn't it be amazing to have this event back on the calendar.