Campaign to Save Local Pubs

New Campaign Campaigns

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  Save the William IV pub

  The pub was sold to developers by Young’s Brewery, even though an offer to purchase to run this as a community pub was made not far off the full market value. This was declined by them. Meanwhile locals were informed that the pub was being sold as a going concern only to find it boarded up overnight and sold to developers. The William IV is the only non-gastro, hotel or family orientated pub left in the village. It had planning rejected on it in the past as the council deemed it important to the community. It has a very special atmosphere and there are very few places in the country left like this pub. The William IV is the beating heart of our community, where community and charitable events are organised, old and young mix and discussions are held on village life. Once the pub is developed it will be will be gone forever. Since its closure, people are travelling outside the village to socialise and have been split apart. Please list this pub as an Asset of Community Value, so we have the chance to rescue the heart of our village.

  1,202 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Juliette Cockell
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  Save the Somerset Pub in Marston

  There has been a pub on the site of the Somerset since the 1800s. It closed its doors in 2014, and is now the last pub standing in New Marston. A group of local residents are now campaigning to save the pub. The iconic building is one of its kind in the area: a 1930s inter-war public house. Historic England have campaigned to list and protect suburban pubs, which are under threat and closing at a rate of 27 per week. Marston has already lost The Plasterers Arms, The Jack Russell, The Friar, The Cavalier, The Three Horseshoes, The Bricklayers Arms, and The White Hart, which have all been converted to other uses by property developers. We urgently need community spaces as well as housing, and pubs are an important and irreplaceable part of our heritage. If the Somerset is lost there will be no pubs in New Marston - an area of some 4000 residents. Marston is in real need of public spaces for eating, drinking and meeting. Many of us know and love the Somerset, and remember it as a thriving pub. We have come together to lobby local government to recognise the importance of preserving our last pub and to campaign to see it re-opened for community use.

  731 of 800 Signatures

  Created by Susannah Wilson
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  Urgent please help to save The Railway Inn Fourstones

  If you remember in the last petition I outlined that this is the village pub, its been neglected by a succession of owners - I understand the community and others have offered to buy the pub, its a community asset that over 200 people signed this petition last time to keep it. There has been little done to make this into a viable going concern, but the current owner has applied to have it converted into a house. Has anyone really tried to make this pub work by connecting to the needs of the local community or was it never the intent to continue to run this as a pub all all ? Does this sound familiar ? It’s sad that the pub has been closed for such a long time - dont let it end up being closed for good - We need your help to stop this - please log on to Northumberland County Council Planning Website and make your voice heard against new Planning application No: 18/02349/FUL COMMENTS MUST BE MADE BY 30th AUGUST. If Planning is denied and the pub reopens, we need a partnership between the community and the owner in making this work.

  234 of 300 Signatures

  Created by Steve Scrimshaw
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  LET'S CALL TIME ON THE GREAT BRITISH PUB SCANDAL.

  A Pubs Watchdog is urgently needed to govern the behaviour of large pub companies (which own around a third of UK pubs) and ensure publicans are treated fairly. A key role for the Pubs Watchdog would be to ensure rents and wholesale prices are reasonable. Last year the Government recognised that “there is some real hardship in the pubs sector, with many pubs going to the wall as publicans are struggling to survive on tiny margins. Some of this is due to pubcos [pub companies] exploiting and squeezing their publicans by unfair practices and a focus on short-term profits. Four Select Committee reviews since 2004 have highlighted these problems” (Vince Cable MP, January 2013). In 2013 the Government rightly concluded that “a change in the law is now needed to shift behaviour”. However, time is rapidly running out to introduce these important changes. The case for action: • In a 2013 survey, the majority (57%) of publicans renting pubs from the large pub companies reported earning less than £10,000 a year. • Typically these publicans have to buy all their beer from their pub company and are not allowed to buy on the open market. This can inflate the cost to publicans by around 50p a pint. • The large pub companies have disposed of thousands of pubs in the last four years alone and plan to sell many more every year. • In total 96% of people responding to a Government consultation survey declared their support for a Pubs Watchdog. Publicans with the large pub companies should be given the option to buy one real ale on the open market – known as a guest beer right. They should also be given the option to choose a market rent only contract that would allow a publican to buy all of their beer on the open market from any brewer they choose. Please sign this petition and tell the Government to stick to its clear promise by introducing a Parliamentary Bill in this year’s Queen’s Speech.

  45,205 of 50,000 Signatures

  Created by Colin Valentine
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  Protect small cider producers

  CAMRA fully supports the production and availability of real ciders and perries. In many cases the proposed action would make small scale cider production uneconomic. This is wholly disproportionate given that a small producer selling up to 33 pints a day has no capacity to affect EU trade to any meaningful degree. The case for rejecting the request by the EU to tax small cider producers: - Someone producing less than 70hl (12,000 pints) will generally be making less than £10,000 a year in sales. This means the tax exemption only applies to very small businesses, such as hobbyists or farm-gate producers. If a duty were to be levied on these producers it would make their operations uneconomic and lead to wide-spread closure. - 80% of Britain’s 500+ cider makers are currently small producers. A tax will severely impact on consumer choice and will cause irreparable damage to one of the nation’s most historic industries. - An exemption from this duty is essential to supporting the growth of a vibrant but still small cider and perry market. - A tax charge of up to £2,700 would drive many small cider producers out of business costing jobs, harming the countryside and dramatically reducing consumer choice.

  26,932 of 30,000 Signatures

  Created by Katie McKelliget
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  Stop the demolition of pubs without planning protection

  A historic pub in Kilburn which survived being bombed in the Second World War has been demolished by developers behind the backs of the local community. Developers ripped through the Carlton Tavern on Friday 10th April, despite being considered for statutory listing. Local Cllr Jan Prendergast from Westminster City Council said: “I'm horrified for the local residents that this has occurred. It came as such a shock to everyone. There was no prior warning to the council, no approvals and no proper health and safety procedures in place. “This was a lovely pub and I'm sorry to see it go, but I'm more concerned for the residents in Maida Vale for whom they showed no consideration whatsoever. It was the last building standing in Carlton vale after the WW2 bombings. “I've lived in the area for 35 years and have never seen anything like this before. We need to take very careful legal advice as to what steps we can take.” The demolition of the Carlton Tavern demonstrates how vulnerable communities are to speculative and aggressive development tactics. It also demonstrates a complete disregard towards the historic social infrastructure of Kilburn and the wider UK pub heritage stock. Local pubs are at the heart of our communities and allowing valued pubs such as the Carlton Tavern to be demolished in this way is ludicrous and is denying local residents a say in the future of their neighbourhoods. James Watson, Regional Pub Protection Advisor for the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) said: "Although we welcome the recent changes to planning law which came into effect on 6th April 2015, which afford some protection to ACV-registered pubs, the tragic case of the Carlton Tavern demonstrates just how vulnerable pubs are to rapacious development. We now urge the Government to take this case into consideration and amend planning law to ensure that such demolitions are prohibited unless planning permission is first obtained. This would ensure communities like Kilburn have a say in the future of their local pubs."

  1,698 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Faye Grima
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  Save the Queens Head Public House - KIngston upon Thames

  Public houses are more than just a place to sup a glass of beer, they can be the hub of the community and far, far more. There is no better place to meet up with local friends for a good old gossip. Community groups host meetings and public events whilst enjoying a pint, not forgetting those personal special celebrations which can be catered for, and don't forget that pub food is so much better than it ever used to be! Our local public houses also support the sale of beer produced by our own local breweries/micro breweries (eg Twickenham Ales, Park Brewery) thus helping to create local employment and adding to the local economy. We have already lost at least 2 local pubs over the years, The Richmond Park and the Alexandra Tavern are no more. CAMRA suggests that as many as 29 pubs are closing every week. 600 have already been listed as assets of community value and therefore protected, hopefully we will be able to add the Queens Head to that list with your help. If you would like to help prevent the potential closure and redevelopment of this important community asset, please sign this petition. Thank you very much for your support.

  391 of 400 Signatures

  Created by Diane Watling
• save the crooked billet

  jobs, independent local, history,

  3 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Rahil Imam
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  Save the Masons Arms

  SAVE THE MASONS ARMS Did you know that the last of the original New Mills pubs in the historical and conservation area of the town is under threat of closure? Well it is and we don't want that to happen so we have started a petition to see this gets stopped. If you would like to help then please sign our petition. Remember, once it goes there will be no more pubs in old New Mills and not one between the Royal Oak and the Printer's in Thornsett. That's a fair walk after a couple.

  557 of 600 Signatures

  Created by Mark Cobley
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  Save Cooksons

  We are concerned that the pub may be being mismanaged and intentionally run down,marking it as an nonviable concern resulting in possible closure. We feel the Pub has the potential to bring a huge amount of value to the local area, beyond what it could contribute economically. It can provide community infrastructure that would otherwise not exist, bring together neighbours and members of the community that may not otherwise come into contact, and play a part in the heritage and culture of an area. Historically it has supported aspirations of local authorities, by helping to increase individual well being, bring vulnerable, isolated and disparate groups into closer contact, as well as contributing to the regeneration of jobs. Finally, locally six pubs and social clubs have closed, making the Cooksons the only pub left standing along a once vibrant area. If the Cooksons was also to go, then the loss would we feel be a further nail in the coffin for an already stressed and continually disparate community.

  11 of 100 Signatures

  Created by Stephen Maguire