PLANNING MOVE BLOW FOR PUBS

by Tony Halstead and The PMA Team A Government plan to restrict the number of new pub and bar developments through the introduction of tighter planning controls has enraged the pub industry. Pubs and bars will be placed into a separate planning class to restaurants rather than lumped into the same A3 class. Trade experts fear the proposals could cause severe problems for the licensed trade property market because of the growing "chameleon factor", which has produced a new breed of pub-restaurants where food and drink is dominant at different times of the day. The move also seems at odds with the intentions of the Licensing Bill, which wants to liberalise opening. Planning Minister Tony McNulty told the House of Commons this week: "There is widespread concern that the inclusion of pubs and bars with other uses, such as restaurants and cafes in the A3 class, is contributing to the increase in the number of licensed premises in some areas and that such changes in use do not require planning permission. "It is our intention to change the Uses Class Order so as to put pubs and bars into a separate class. The effect will be to require any proposal to change use of an existing building into a pub or bar to apply for planning permission." Association of Multiple Li-censed Retailers chief executive Nick Bish said that those behind the move failed to understand that pubs and restaurants were often interchangeable. "A pub which is food dominated at lunchtime often changes its style completely in the evenings when it becomes drink dominated," he said. "These proposals appear to be inconsistent with what the new Licensing Act seeks to do, by placing pubs, restaurants and other licensed premises into a more unitary system. "I think they should have waited for the new Act to bed in before going down this road." The Laurel Pub Company said the proposals would make it more difficult for operators to convert premises. "We do not believe more red tape within the planning system offers the flexibility to an in-dustry which is so fast moving," said director of communications Maureen Heffernan. Nigel Ball, of property consultants Fuller Peiser, said the planning changes did not take into account "hybrid" operations. "Living Room is 60% food-led but operates with a pub licence ­ a restaurant licence would be too restrictive for it." There were be lots of operators like that who would have to decided whether they were running a pub or a restaurant.