A national celebration day will be held on 23 March for the hundreds of pubs listed as assets of community value.
Ministers have called on people across the country to “list their local” so pubs that play a crucial role at the heart of our communities can enjoy even greater protection and remain a social hub for future generations to come.
A national celebration day will be held on 23 March to raise a glass to the success of hundreds of pubs already listed as assets of the community by local people.
Community Pubs Minister, Kris Hopkins, has written to the landlords of all listed locals asking them to take part in this day of celebration. He is now urging other people across the country to consider listing their local to give it this additional protection.
Due to the passion demonstrated for pubs, ministers are in the process of changing the law to give communities a say in the planning process when changes are proposed to the use of their listed locals.
The department is currently producing a “community asset certificate” which will be made available to every listed local to hang behind the bar, giving landlords the chance to celebrate the fact their pub is prized so highly by those who matter the most, the patrons.
Kris Hopkins said:
“A lot of hard work has been put in by communities up and down the land to protect their beloved pubs from sell-off and I believe many more could be afforded this protection, which is why we are calling on people to consider whether they might want to list their local.
“The Great British pub is a national treasure which is why we are determined to protect it. I am delighted this government’s action is providing even greater protection for local pubs and giving communities more of a say in their preservation and look forward to toasting this success on community pubs day.”
Communities Minister Stephen Williams said:
“Community rights are a local revolution – equipping local people with the tools they need to have a real say in how their communities are run. This government doesn’t do things by half measures and by listing local pubs as community assets regulars can prevent developers calling time on their much-loved local.”
Words: Peter Cribley