Cambridge City
Council have just published their “Interim
Planning Policy Guidance on the Protection of Public Houses in the City of
Cambridge” [1] the first in a new
round of planning policy controls that aim to limit loss of these ‘community assets’ through redevelopment.
The traditional
Pub has been in decline for some time, for a variety of reasons. Drink-driving
laws, changes in drinking patterns, cheaper more accessible supermarket
products, rising rent levels and significant tax duty have all done for the traditional market. Whether
in rural or urban areas the UK alone is still losing 12 pub businesses a week to
alternative uses. This much is known and is doubtless true for pubs, bars and
similar enterprises the world over.
Keen to promote the
Big Society and wider neighbourhood decision-making, the UK Government has
sought to reduce this decline by imposing more rigorous planning policy in the
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF - paragraph 28 in particular).
Simply stopping change is a sledgehammer approach and pre-supposes that the Pub will remain active in the absence of allowing a change of use. The plethora of decaying ‘for sale’ boards littering high street and village stand testament to this single-sided approach.
Drawing upon
this guidance Cambridge’s interim policy requires that:
Development will only be permitted where evidence has been provided to
satisfy the following criteria:
(a) The pub has been marketed
for 12 months as a public house free of tie and restrictive covenant and for
alternative local commercial or community facility, at a price agreed with the
Council following an independent professional valuation (paid for by the
developer) and there has been no interest in either the free- or lease-hold
either as a public house, restaurant or other use falling within the ‘A’ use
classes or as a community facility falling within ‘D1’ use class; and
(b) All reasonable efforts have
been made to preserve the facility (including all diversification options
explored – and evidence supplied to illustrate this) but it has been proven
that it would not be economically viable to retain the building or site for its
existing or any other ‘A’ or ‘D1’ class use; and
(c) It has been otherwise
demonstrated that the local community no longer needs the public house or any
alternative ‘A’ or ‘D1’ class use and its loss would not damage the
availability of local commercial or community facilities that provide for
day-to-day needs in the local area.
This policy supports and
encourages other commercial uses of the premises in line with the NPPF
and existing Permitted Development Rights.
But here’s the irony.
The ‘Pub’ as a community facility is not, of itself, protected by this policy approach. The use of the property
for beneficial local employment/economic uses is the principle driver.
There is no
doubt the ‘Pub’ is identified as a key element in sustaining community cohesion
and providing a sense of place, but there is just one problem. If the public at
large are no longer interested in the traditional pub experience, what might be
done to find a compatible function that retains the Pub, whilst at the same time
making it a viable business?
Here are some
thoughts.
There is an
increasingly agile workforce out there who are willing and able – through
technology – to work pretty much anywhere. The difficulty is finding somewhere
suitable. The current economic climate is also making individuals and business
alike think twice about that long and expensive commute. Employees have also
been ‘released’ to discover alternative employment opportunities leading to
more working from home.
In the same way
as coffee chains have started to provide WiFi accessibility to bring people in
through the door, some pub chains have begun the same process in order to
attract the business sector. But this is just the start. Whilst such facilities
may be helpful for that quick email catch-up, really working from a café or
holding a business meeting is less successful.
The pub as a
community ‘business’ hub must be a worthwhile consideration. Think, hotdesk,
meets coworking and micro-meeting centre with food, drink and possibly
accommodation too.
A report I prepared recently “Inn Business – A Diversification Opportunity” offers some valuable suggestions.
Lets try and keep pubs as 'pubs' - but with some additional income streams that can help them to survive.
[1] For the planning guidance in Cambridge go to:
