Lords voted by a clear majority to support an amendment tabled by Lord Kennedy of Southwark to the Neighbourhood Planning Bill which sought to remove ‘permitted development rights’ from pubs, which would have been vulnerable to demolition or conversion to a range of retail uses without planning permission.
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Currently, a pub can be demolished or converted into a number of other uses without a developer needing to submit a planning application. This not only denies local communities a say on their beloved local’s future, but also makes pubs a ‘soft target’ for developers, leading to 21 pubs closing every week.
In light of evidence from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), that two pubs a week are converted to supermarkets, and that these planning loopholes are contributing to the loss of valued community amenities; the House was concerned that local people are being denied a say in the future of their neighbourhoods; and so the house urged the Government to bring forward amendments to the General Permitted Development Order 1995 so that any demolition or change of use involving the loss of a pub would require planning permission.
CAMRA Chairman, Colin Valentine, says: ‘There is a huge appetite for pub protection across the country. At CAMRA, we see thousands of campaigners across England and Wales fight tooth and nail in local campaigns to save their beloved pubs. Over 5,000 people have contacted Peers in the past two months to ask them to help protect their local pub through this legislation. This shows us just how important this issue is to many local communities’. He said: ‘Pubs play a huge community role in villages, towns and high streets across the country yet can be lost overnight without the public having a say. We are delighted that Peers have chosen to support this amendment and we hope that the Government will respond to the will of communities across the country.’
Shadow Spokesperson for Communities and Local Government, Lord Roy Kennedy, added: ‘I am delighted that we have won this vote tonight. It is vital that we take the steps needed to protect our pubs so that they continue to be the heart and soul of communities.’
The Bill will now go through Third Reading before returning to the House of Commons where MPs will vote on the Bill.
Read CAMRA’s press release and the UK Parliament Early Day Motion
