Over 200 pubs converted to convenience stores (From Daily Echo)
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Over 200 pubs converted to convenience stores
12:03pm Monday 19th November 2012 in Business
The Hampshire Yeoman
More than 200 pubs have been converted to supermarket convenience stores over the past two years, ''ripping the hearts'' out of small communities, a new report revealed today.
The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) urged the Government to change planning laws which it said were allowing major supermarket chains and developers an ''easy route'' to demolishing or changing the use of pubs.
The campaign group said ''arcane'' planning law loopholes in England and Wales were rendering communities powerless in the fight to save their locals.
Since the beginning of 2010, a ''staggering'' 130 pubs have been converted into convenience stores by supermarket giant Tesco, and 22 by Sainsbury's, with a further 54 by other companies such as The Co-Operative, Asda and Costcutter, said Camra, with a further 45 pubs under threat of conversion across Britain.
Camra chief executive Mike Benner said: ''Weak and misguided planning laws and the predatory acquisition of valued pub sites by large supermarket chains, coupled with the willingness of pub owners to cash in and sell for development, are some of the biggest threats to the future of Britain's social fabric.
''For years, large supermarket chains have shown a disregard for the wellbeing of local communities, gutting much-loved former pubs in areas already bursting with supermarket stores.
''Pubs are being targeted for development by supermarket chains due to non-existent planning controls allowing supermarkets to ride roughshod over the wishes of the local community. At a time when 18 pubs are closing every week, this is damaging a great British institution.
''Unless action is taken by the Government to address obvious loopholes in planning legislation, more local communities will be forced to give up their local pub without a fight, and seeing the pub signs of Red Lions and Royal Oaks being corporately gratified over by supermarket empires will become an all too common sight.''
John Denham, Labour MP for Southampton Itchen, said: ''Residents across the country are feeling powerless to intervene as local community pubs are being turned into convenience stores.
''Government needs to wake up to this looming crisis in the pub industry and look not only at planning laws that allow pubs to be converted so easily, but also at the cosy relationship between national retailers and large pub companies that so often leave local communities feeling left out in the cold.''
In his own constiuency, The Castle in Midanbury is being converted to a Tesco Express, as well as other Hampshire pubs including the Woodman in Lordswood and The Hampshire Yeoman Blackfield.
Comments(20)
southy
says...
12:36pm Mon 19 Nov 12
Business Tax is like the Council tax how it is set up, the more land you take up the less you pay per meter of land, it should be the other way round so it gives the less weathy a chance against the corporations business.
Ellwood
says...
12:45pm Mon 19 Nov 12
Shake any tree ...... Royal Oak or otherwise and the likely hood is that dead wood will be removed.
SPIKEISLANDTRADER
says...
12:57pm Mon 19 Nov 12
Wonder WHY ! pubs are closing .. Rather Tesco express than vandalised eye sores .
burgerboy
says...
1:06pm Mon 19 Nov 12
without eating facilities any longer is the smoking ban,Although i gave up smoking over a year ago,i have not stepped foot inside a pub since the ban came into effect which must be about 3 years ago.
The pubs only have themselves to blame for not objecting to this law at the time.
sparkster
says...
2:01pm Mon 19 Nov 12
st1halo
says...
2:24pm Mon 19 Nov 12
It's about time the House of Commons' bar was closed down and replaced by a Tesco, see how they like it!
st1halo
says...
2:34pm Mon 19 Nov 12
burgerboy wrote:They did object and strongly but to no avail.
One of the main reasons that people are not using pubs with or
without eating facilities any longer is the smoking ban,Although i gave up smoking over a year ago,i have not stepped foot inside a pub since the ban came into effect which must be about 3 years ago.
The pubs only have themselves to blame for not objecting to this law at the time.
The governments always knows best, they always come up with policies that are based on some percieved high moral standing and never stop to think about the impact it has on the communities we live in. They exceed their remit and are quite happy to do so
VIVERS
says...
2:34pm Mon 19 Nov 12
SPIKEISLANDTRADER wrote:hear hear
Prices / Drink drive / No smoking
Wonder WHY ! pubs are closing .. Rather Tesco express than vandalised eye sores .
ohec
says...
2:54pm Mon 19 Nov 12
sarfhamton
says...
5:17pm Mon 19 Nov 12
bigfella777
says...
5:37pm Mon 19 Nov 12
Nice pubs dont close down, just the ones that let all the riff raff in that drive decent people away.
8089
says...
6:05pm Mon 19 Nov 12
st1halo wrote:....And don't forget Lord Sainsbury was a major financial contributor to the Labour party and 'Mr Tesco' Terry Leahy was Gordon Brown's business advisor .....'Every little helps'....To destroy the small retailers!! You can't close the stable door after the horse has bolted, Denham!
I find it laughable that Denham is so vocal about it when it's he and his government that did more to destroy the pub industry in the first place.
It's about time the House of Commons' bar was closed down and replaced by a Tesco, see how they like it!
skin2000
says...
8:30pm Mon 19 Nov 12
If the interest rates should ever ever rise, companies like Punch might have to fire sale more pubs just to survive....Tesco's will then jump in again, buying up more and more of these pubs...thus killing off independent village shops.....
In the end we will have no pubs and no competition.
The coalition need to act now, so pubs can compete on a level playing field.
spotburst
says...
9:42am Tue 20 Nov 12
Triples all round.
spotburst
says...
9:46am Tue 20 Nov 12
AndyAndrews
says...
9:46am Tue 20 Nov 12
huckit P
says...
10:15am Tue 20 Nov 12
elvisimo
says...
12:05pm Tue 20 Nov 12
The past and current government have made the situation much worse for landlords and licesees with the beer escalator - tax increases at a rate of 2% above inflation.
It is not the supermarkets fault it is the governments -although they stay remarkably quiet on this point.
kingnotail
says...
12:22pm Tue 20 Nov 12
sarfhamton says...
12:22pm Mon 19 Nov 12