New planning rules in England will make it harder for developers to convert or demolish pubs, under changes announced by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner. The move is part of a broader government effort to build 1.5 million homes by the end of the parliament, but it also aims to protect community assets.
What the new rules mean for pubs
Under the revised National Planning Policy Framework, developers will have to prove there is genuinely no way to save a pub before they can knock it down or convert it. The policy applies to all pubs, not just the last remaining pub in an area, which campaigners had warned could lead to the loss of thousands of viable businesses.
According to the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), 794 pubs have closed this year, with 82 either demolished or converted. The organisation had previously said that limiting protection to the last pub in an area could “spell the end for thousands of viable pubs across England”.
Government and campaigner responses
Ms Rayner said: “Pubs are part of who we are as a nation. They’re where we celebrate, grieve, argue and belong, the beating heart of so many of our communities, and it’s an outrage that weak protections have allowed too many of them to slip away without a fight.”
She added: “That’s why we’re drawing a line so that developers have to prove there’s genuinely no way to save a pub before they can even think about knocking it down, because building the homes we desperately need should never come at the cost of the pubs we love.”
Camra welcomed the change but stressed that strong protections must apply to all pubs. The group said: “Strong planning protections are needed to give people the right to try to save their pub if it is under threat of demolition or conversion. Crucially, this must apply to all pubs so communities can save their local even if there are other pubs in the same area.”
Business rates discount and small business support
In a separate move, pubs, clubs and live music venues in England will receive a 20% discount on their business rates bills as part of a £100 million aid package. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “For too long, governments have stood by while cherished venues have disappeared from our local high streets. So today I am changing that. This government will back the businesses that people want to see in their communities. I said I would protect pubs and local high streets – the beating heart of our communities – and that’s what we will do.”
Tina McKenzie, policy chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, welcomed the proposal but said it must be a “down payment” on further action to help small businesses more broadly at the next budget. “Failure is not an option,” she said. “We are encouraged at the signal from the prime minister today, instructing his government to plan for a significant increase in small business rates relief at the heart of the next budget. This would deliver on promises made campaigning for the role, and fix the damage caused by business rates decisions that sent bills up and are holding back [small and medium-sized enterprise] growth and jobs in every postcode.”
