'Pub restrictive covenants could be outlawed'

Returning to the subject, could covenants already made be retrospectively annulled by this proposed change in legislation? Any serious legal answers, please?

John Ellis
Crown Inn, Oakengates

RE: 'Pub restrictive covenants could be outlawed'

Chris - you current company, Pub Innsite is a retained agent for Marstons. You would seem to have a vested interest in this.

I would indeed be equally critical of Spirit and Greene King for the same and other reasons.

I didn't mention anything about the last pub in a village but in any event you are wrong about planning policy specifically protecting pubs in the way you suggest. Regardless of whether a council would resist change of use on the last pub in a village it doesn't currently stop a covenant being placed on it by a vendor who wanted, for example to drum up more business in a nearby pub. The CAMRA proposal would prevent the covenant being placed on the property in the first instance and this is an interesting development.

You suggest to another poster that the government would bring in retrospective legislation. I know of no examples of this in planning terms and would be interested to see examples that you are aware of.

It is right to link the restrictive covenant issue to the beer tie as the practitioners are the same people and as CAMRA is right to say, they are having a detrimental effect on society.

'Pub restrictive covenants could be outlawed'

While I understand Chris's point I think his scenario is a rare occurrence. I tend to agree with the aims of this venture, too many pubs that would make good entry freehold pubs are sold with restrictive covenants for alternative uses.