600 listed pubs win drinkers' backing

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, will be leading celebrations for three huge campaign wins on Community Pubs Day (23 March), a new national celebration day to highlight and promote the 600 pubs that have so far been listed as Assets of Community Value. One such pub, The Bohemia, in Finchley, North London, also brews its own beer.

The celebration day marks new laws to protect pubs listed as Assets of Community Value (ACVs) in England coming into effect on 6 April, and neatly coincides with the beer tax cut in the recent budget and the passing into law of the Small Business Bill this week, which will give pub company licensees in England and Wales a fairer deal on beer prices and rent. CAMRA members are being urged to visit their local Asset of Community Value pub today to mark this occasion.

“Thanks to the efforts of the thousands of CAMRA members who lobbied their local MP, from 6 April when a pub is listed as an ACV in England it will receive full planning protection, ultimately giving communities a say in what happens if the owner wishes to demolish the pub or convert it to another use. This is a powerful step towards protecting our valued community pubs. All it takes is a local group or 21 locals to start the process of having a pub listed as an ACV, so let’s push the number of listed pubs from hundreds to thousands,” says Tim Page, CAMRA Chief Executive.

But the celebrations don’t end there, with pub company reform headed for Royal Assent after 10 years of campaigning by CAMRA and business and tenant groups. Their work to secure a fair deal for pub tenants and consumers secured the support of more than 45,000 campaigners and 212 MPs, resulting in a major government defeat on the Small Business Bill last year. The new law will give tenants tied to the large pub companies the opportunity to opt for a rent-only deal, allowing them to buy their supplies of drinks on the open market at competitive prices.

“CAMRA has been campaigning for pub company reform for over 10 years. We are delighted to finally see our campaign come to fruition with changes to the tied system that will be welcomed by thousands of struggling licensees across the country.  The Small Business Bill will give them a much fairer deal. This is great news for tenants and great news for pub goers who will benefit from wider beer choice, fairer prices and a thriving pub sector, ” Tim Page added.

CAMRA members will also be raising their glasses this week to celebrate a historic third cut in beer tax following the Chancellor’s Budget, which will keep beer prices affordable for pub-goers across the country.

 “It has been an excellent year for CAMRA with three major campaign wins coming to fruition within a few short weeks. None of these would have been possible without our dedicated 170,000 members who work tirelessly to protect the rights of beer drinkers and pub-goers across the country. I would like to say a huge thank you to them for every letter written, petition signed or pub listed, which has played a huge role in CAMRA achieving real change. It is now up to all of us to continue this good work,” Tim Page said.

For more guidance on how to list your pub, please visit: http://www.camra.org.uk/list-your-local  

Further information:

Community Pubs Day: http://pubsmatter.org.uk/news/community-pubs-day-announced

CAMRA’s Beer Tax campaign: www.camra.org.uk/beer

CAMRA’s ‘List your local’ (ACV) campaign: http://www.camra.org.uk/list-your-local

A full list of pubs listed as Assets of Community Value can be accessed at:

http://www.camra.org.uk/list-your-local

or downloaded directly by clicking this link: http://www.camra.org.uk/documents/10180/18996/600+ACVs+press+release1.xlsx/4e24fb63-5989-4eae-a794-8e79c2db84d0