The Alma in Newington Green is listed as asset of community value
Islington Borough Council agreed to list the pub last month after receiving a nomination from local campaign group ‘The Alma N1 Supporters Group’ with a petition featuring more than 1,400 signatures.
It gives the community the right to bid to purchase the pub should it be put up for sale and adds an additional level of planning protection.
The council concluded: “By facilitating meetings of the local community, the continued existence of the Alma Public House helps to further the social well-being of the local community in the Islington and Hackney areas.”
Eviction
The ACV nomination was made back in October when Kirsty Valentine ran the pub. However, in November she was evicted by bailiffs for non-payment of rent and, according to the Alma’s new Twitter account, an experienced publican has now been taken on on a tenancy-at-will.
It also states that there has been a large amount of interest from publicans to purchase the lease full-time. The property is currently advertised on the Enterprise Inns website.
Current tenant James McGrath told the Publican's Morning Advertiser: "We are very happy to hear the news. The locals helped make this pub an asset of community value, we are here to provide the best service we can with live music, quiz nights, great food and a long list of great drinks."
He added: "We aim to get the lease from Enterprise, and when we do, we aim to make this the best drinking pub in the area."
'Bitter sweet victory'
In a statement published on the North London branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) website, Valentine said she was “absolutely delighted”.
“Its future as a community meeting space, a public house and an iconic building is now secured. The Alma cannot now be sold on for unsympathetic other uses without the community knowing and having the chance to buy it,” she said.
“This is a bitter sweet victory for me as I am no longer the landlord of The Alma, but your passionate support and personal messages that I received from so many of you, locals as well as from around the world, was astounding and I am incredibly proud to of met and served so many of you during my time at The Alma.”
CAMRA target
Last fortnight the Publican’s Morning Advertiser reported that CAMRA was set to hit its target of getting 300 pubs ACV-listed by the end of 2013 and aims to have 400 listed by the end of 2014.
