Chloe Smith MP encourages local residents to make sure their favourite pub gets registered as an Asset of Community Value

MP for Norwich North, Chloe Smith, today urged residents to preserve their favourite local pub by registering it as an Asset of Community Value.

 

The Localism Act 2011's Community Right to Bid allows community groups to nominate land and buildings as Assets of Community Value.  The local council must decide whether a nominated asset has a use that "furthers the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community" before adding it to their ACV register.  This only needs 21 people to do.

 

CAMRA have campaigned for pub lovers to do this, for some time:  http://www.camra.org.uk/list-your-local-assets-of-community-value/

 

This week, Parliament debated the issue and went one step further: a proposal was put forward to the make the listing of a pub as an Asset of Community Value trigger a removal of the national permitted development rights for the change of use or demolition of those pubs that communities have identified as providing the most community benefit.  This will mean that in future where a pub is listed as an Asset of Community Value, a planning application will be required for the change of use or demolition of a pub.  The local planning authority may take the listing into account as a material consideration when determining any planning application.

 

Chloe has previously helped constituents in Sprowston look through all the existing legislation – which this Government put in place, and Chloe voted for in Parliament – to protect community pubs, such as the Community Right to Bid (http://mycommunityrights.org.uk/community-right-to-bid/).  She believes it would have been helpful to those people if the pub had already been registered as an Asset of Community Value, to reflect their affection for it.

 

Chloe commented:

 

“We have some fantastic local pubs at the heart of our community and I want to see them preserved for years to come. If there is a particular pub that is your favourite in north Norwich, let me know – I’ll help you list it so that all this becomes a reality.”