The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has launched a new campaign calling on the UK Government to recognise that ‘pubs matter’ and change planning law in England so a planning application is always required before a pub is demolished or converted into another use.
The campaign claims that the existing planning system directly contributes to the closure of 31 pubs a week in the UK.
The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 puts uses of land and buildings into categories known as ‘Use Classes’. Pubs currently fall within the A4 planning use class, which means they can be converted into shops, financial and professional services, restaurants and cafes, businesses (temporarily for up to two years) and also demolished without planning permission.
