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Gloucestershire Business News

Staring down the barrel: CAMRA's plea for pubs in peril

2024 saw Punchline cover a grim round of pub rescue initiatives, from the Cotswolds to the Severn Vale, with communities in Stroud, Uley, while many throw in the towel and explore the viability of alternative housing plans.

So all eyes are now on consumer group CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale, albiet rarely spelt out), which has kicked off its campaigning for the year ahead by making a direct appeal to Angela Rayner, the Deputy PM, to introduce a fund that would specifically aid communities endeavouring to take over ownership of their local pub.

CAMRA is calling on the Deputy Prime Minister and her Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to introduce a dedicated fund for community groups looking to take over ownership of their local pub and the call comes after the existing fund, which helped local people to take over their pub as a community-owned business, came to a sudden end before Christmas 2024.

The now-discontinued Community Ownership Fund (COF) provided funding for groups of local people to take over ownership and the running of community facilities that would otherwise be sold, converted or demolished, including pubs - but on 23 December, the final COF had been paid out to successful bidders, including eight community pubs.

With ministers now indicating that no further funding or bids would be allowed, the government plans a new 'Community Right to Buy' for local groups looking to take ownership of a pub in their neighbourhood.

But CAMRA believes right to buy must come alongside a dedicated programme of advice, guidance and funding to make sure community pubs go from strength to strength.

Paul Ainsworth, Chair of CAMRA's Planning Advisory Group said: "Having thriving pubs at the heart of community life can be a key part of the government's mission to have vibrant communities and thriving local economies."

WIth more than 200 community-owned pubs functioning in the UK, he added that this has proved to be a remarkably successful model, "with previously struggling pubs now popular and successful enterprises - pubs for the people by the people".

He added: "Ministers have already announced that they are going to introduce a 'Community Right to Buy' for local assets like pubs that are under threat of closure or conversion. This is very welcome and is set to be a gamechanger for local people wanting to save their pub.

"However, it is vital that as well as a right to buy community assets, groups of local people can also access advice, support and funding to help make sure bids to take over pubs as community-owned businesses can be successful, securing the pub at the heart of community life for decades to come."

● On December 23, the Guardian reported that the early closure of the COF, which had been due to expire as a scheme late this year, left £135m of potential budget allocation unspent. Westminster indicated at the time that the unspent money would be used to fund other government priorities.

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