{"id":5500,"date":"2025-07-28T09:20:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T09:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/?p=5500"},"modified":"2025-07-28T09:20:36","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T09:20:36","slug":"pub-heritage-and-planning-july-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/2025\/07\/28\/pub-heritage-and-planning-july-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Pub heritage and planning – July 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Heritage Public Houses Bill<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This private member\u2019s bill was prompted by the infamous case of the Crooked House in Himley.  It was proposed by the then MP for Dudley South, Marco Longhi, and was intended to offer greater legal protection for heritage pubs.  In short it requires local authorities to \u2018maintain a register of heritage public houses in their area, to place restrictions on the sale of heritage public houses, to make provision relating to the nomination of heritage public houses as assets of community value and to make provision about the listing of heritage public houses; and for connected purposes<\/em>\u2019.  Mr Longhi lost his seat at the last election and so sponsorship of the bill was taken over by Mike Wood, the MP for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire.  It was due to have its second reading in March but this has been postponed until 12 September, even though the House of Commons is not due to be sitting on that date.  The bill\u2019s future appears to be uncertain.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Mike Wood MP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Meanwhile, CAMRA\u2019s staff and volunteers continue to meet with government ministers to discuss improvements to the planning system in England to improve protection for all pubs.  There have however been no developments on the Crooked House case itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heritage Revival Fund<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Readers will recall that, earlier this year, the Government prematurely closed the Community Ownership Fund<\/a>.\u00a0 There have however been developments.\u00a0 The Government is setting up a Heritage Revival Fund that aims to rescue and find new uses for neglected historic buildings.\u00a0 \u00a315 million has been made available for grants and the scheme will run until 31 March 2026.\u00a0 It is not, of course, exclusively for pubs.\u00a0 The Department for Culture, Media and Sport\u2019s press release also mentioned shops, parks, and town halls.\u00a0 The minister responsible, Sir Chris Bryant, said, \u201cIt is so important to communities across the country that we preserve local heritage that helps us to tell our national story<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 I think that we can all agree with that.\u00a0 There is a problem however, as highlighted by the chair of CAMRA\u2019s Pub Heritage Group, Paul Ainsworth.\u00a0 While welcoming the new funding, he pointed out that many of the pubs that people are campaigning to save for their communities are not heritage sites.\u00a0 This measure does not help them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More recently, it has been announced that changes are being made to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which will give community groups first refusal when community hubs are put up for sale.  Once again, this is very welcome in principle but it needs funding.  In theory, community owned pubs, along with privately owned micropubs and similar, are the way forward.  They are not tied to the big pub owning companies and can buy their beer and cider from local small breweries, thus circulating money in the local community.  Similarly, not having to fund dividends and management bonuses, they should be able to offer affordable beer.  If, however, the community don\u2019t have the means to buy the pub, it is little more than a gesture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bell, Walton-on-the-Hill<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sad news.\u00a0 Reigate and Banstead Council have granted permission for this hidden gem of a pub, just on the other side of the M25 in Surrey, to be converted to a single residence.\u00a0 Known locally as the Rat, the pub rates three stars on CAMRA\u2019s inventory of historic pub interiors because of its unspoiled two room interior.\u00a0 It dates from 1854 and has been largely unchanged since it was rebuilt around 1955.\u00a0 It consists of an end-of-terrace cottage with a red brick extension dating from the rebuild.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n

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(c) The Bell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Originally a Page & Overton’s house and licensed only as a beer house until around 1950, it was owned by Charrington’s for many years.\u00a0 It was an entry in the Good Beer Guide<\/em> as early as 1975.\u00a0 <\/a>The Council say that there are three other pubs within walking distance but these are all food-led.\u00a0 The Bell is the only traditional wet-led pub in the area.\u00a0 Campaigners have expressed doubts as to the efforts of the owners, Brakspears, to market the pub as a going concern in line with the requirements of the council\u2019s local plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Royal Bell, Bromley<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further to the report in our April\/May 2025 edition<\/a>, this Grade II-listed Arts and Crafts style pub dating from 1898 is now set to reopen in the autumn as home to a private members\u2019 club, a boutique hotel and a community dining and entertainment space.\u00a0 There will also be a co-working lounge with a fitness studio.\u00a0 Operators, the Belle Collective, have invested \u00a310 million in the project.\u00a0 In a way, it is good to see the site return to use since it closed as a pub in 2008 but it is a shame that the new project cannot cater, even in part, for its original use.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Taken in 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ye Olde Cherry Tree, Southgate<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This attractive Grade II-listed pub, dating from 1695, was operated until recently by the Vintage Inns division of Mitchells & Butlers.\u00a0 It closed earlier this year for refurbishment and has reopened as \u2018Browns Brasserie and Bar at Ye Olde Cherry Tree Inn\u2019.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n

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(c) Mitchells & Butlers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In its new guise it appears, to all intents and purposes, to be a restaurant.\u00a0 That said, while planning permission has been obtained for a rear storage area to house a chiller\/freezer unit, new signage and minor works, no planning permission has been sought for a change of use.\u00a0 This raises a curious point.\u00a0 Is it better that none has?\u00a0 So long as it remains a sui generis pub then, should the restaurant not be a success, it can easily be turned back into a pub.\u00a0 This is another illustration of the complexities of our planning system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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