Closing time across Britain

The statistics surrounding pub closures continue to be alarming. Pub closures across the United Kingdom have increased to 31 every week according to CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), the august body of which I am a member. This number is up from 26 closures per week last year.

Just as disturbing is the fact that planning permission is not required to convert a public house to, for example, a supermarket. Why is that?

The worst hit areas by pub closures are:

1. London and South East (my locality)
2. Midlands
3. North and NE England
4. NW England
5. SW England
6. Lowland and Eastern Scotland
7. South Wales
8. Western Scotland
9. North and Mid Wales

The Campaign for Real Ale hopes to get 55,000 drinkers at the Great British Beer Festival lobbying their MPs to change planning laws. The figures are released as part of Camra's 'Pubs Matter' campaign, which calls on the Government to "recognise that pubs matter" and change the law in England so a planning application is required before a pub is demolished or converted into another use.

As the law stands, pubs may be demolished or converted into supermarkets, estate agents and a range of other uses without planning permission, as many high streets across the country will have experienced. Research by Camra found that two pubs per week were converted to supermarkets in 2012-14.

In addition, Camra research shows that 69 per cent of pub-goers believe that a well-run community pub is as important to community life as a post office, local shop or community centre. Three-quarters of all adults believe that pubs make a valuable contribution to life in Britain.

Pubs do matter, Mr Cameron.....