Battle to save York pubs

York Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to save local pubs from the threat of closure.

Turf Tavern

The drive follows research from CAMRA (The Campaign for Real Ale) which shows 26 pubs across the country are closing every week. The Lib Dems say York currently has a thriving pub and beer scene, but it is not immune from economic and policy pressures.

The Lib Dems will move a motion at this week’s full council meeting asking City of York Council to back the campaign. The motion calls on the council to help give pubs better protection under planning legislation and to encourage residents to register their local pub as an ‘Asset of Community Value’ – to ensure they have more chance to buy it if it goes up for sale. The motion also calls on the Chancellor to freeze beer duty in next year’s Budget.

Councillor Keith Aspden, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on City of York Council, commented:

“Good local pubs are worth fighting for. They can be the hub of a community or village, especially in areas which have lost their post office or shop. York has a thriving pub and brewery scene, but we need to do everything we can to support it.

“The Coalition Government has already helped local pubs by scrapping Labour’s beer duty escalator, but we think more needs to be done. Beer tax should be frozen so people are encouraged to visit their local rather than buying cheap alcohol from the local supermarket and by tightening planning laws the government can also give our community pubs greater protection.

“At the moment pubs can easily be converted into a wide range of uses without planning permission. We think planning permission and community consultation should be required before any pubs are allowed to be converted to betting shops, supermarkets, pay-day loan stores or other uses, or are allowed to be demolished. We also need to encourage residents to ‘list their local’ as an Asset of Community of Value to help give cherished local pubs greater protection if they face closure.”

Cllr Aspden is also calling on the council to fully consider the impact plans to introduce a ‘late night levy’ will have on pubs in the city (country village pubs are exempt) and to show it has responded to any industry concerns when it announces the full details of scheme, which is expected to begin next April.

Cllr Keith Aspden will move the following motion at Thursday’s Full Council (Thursday 6:30pm in the Guildhall York):

Save our Pubs

Council Notes:
Well-run pubs play an invaluable role at the heart of our local communities, providing safe, regulated and sociable environments in which people can interact whilst enjoying a drink responsibly.

The New Economics Foundation estimates that 10.2% of money spent in supermarkets is retained locally compared to 20.6% of money spent in pubs.

The decline of community pubs in recent years means 26 pubs are closing every week across the UK (CAMRA, 2013), as the use of pub properties for other means has become increasingly financially lucrative.

York currently has a successful pub and beer scene, as highlighted by CAMRA’S 2014 Good Beer Guide, but it is not immune from economic and legislative pressures.

The new National Planning Policy Framework and the Localism Act 2011 establish new responsibilities and tools for local councils to promote and protect local pubs. However, the flexibility for a pub to be converted into a wide range of uses without planning permission still means local communities are often denied a say in what’s happening in their neighbourhoods and are unable to protect valued local pubs.

Council Supports:
Efforts by CAMRA and Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland to lobby government and campaign to put local pubs back at the heart of our communities.

The decision by the Coalition Government in March to axe the beer duty escalator and introduce a 1p cut in beer duty – the first time beer duty has been cut since 1959.

Council Resolves to:
Support community groups who wish to register their local pubs as Assets of Community Value;

Submit a proposal under the Sustainable Communities Act calling on the Government to help protect community pubs in England by ensuring that planning permission and community consultation are required before pubs are allowed to be converted to betting shops, supermarkets and pay-day loan stores or other uses, or are allowed to be demolished;

Investigate the use of CAMRA’s Public House Viability Test as a tool when considering planning applications involving pubs;

Write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon George Osborne MP, urging him to freeze beer duty in next year’s Budget.

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