Government admits no plans to monitor number of pubs saved under Localism Act

During a debate in Parliament last week the MP for Fylde, Mark Menzies, asked the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, if the department was monitoring whether the Planning Inspectorate would be taking into account representations from local communities that would want to bid to keep a premises as a pub, rather than see it redeveloped.

The question was answered by community pubs minister Bob Neill, who said that it would not be setting up a monitoring process, but declared that planning legislation already requires decision makers to pay due regard to representations made on a development proposal.

Neill said: “Through the Government’s planning reforms, local communities now have the opportunity to identify buildings and areas that they value in their own neighbourhood plans. These plans form part of the statutory framework that the Planning Inspectorate must have regard to when considering planning appeals.”

Neill confirmed that the the ‘Community Right to Bid’ provisions in the Localism Act 2011, which will give local voluntary and community groups and parish councils the chance to nominate community pubs to be listed as “assets of community value”, have not been laid in Parliament yet.  

He said: “Once the scheme has come into effect, if an asset has been listed then, when the owner decides to put the asset up for sale, a local community group can trigger a six-month moratorium, during which time the owner cannot enter into a relevant disposal of the asset.

"This will allow community groups more time to put together a business plan and raise the capital to bid to take over the asset.”