CAMRA is fully supportive of the community ownership model and we’re keen to assist communities interested in going down this road. Our website – https://camra.org.uk/community-pubs – contains lots of advice and guidance as well as continually updated information about both existing and planned community pubs. The website is administered by Andy Shaw and Paul Ainsworth and we would
appreciate receiving information from Branches about community ownership developments in their area – finding out about new campaigns can be challenging for us but Branches will have their ears to the ground locally and therefore be able to pass on any news. A list of Active Campaigns can be found here and a list of COPs can be found here. Please send your updates to info@communitypubs.camra.org.uk
Community Right to Buy
Parliament has now passed the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, which includes the new Community Right to Buy.
However, these provisions will not come into force until the accompanying Regulations and guidance are issued. We are keeping in touch with officials at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government about this and we also expect a review of the Asset of Community Value process to follow as part of these changes.
Just to recap, the legislation gives community groups first refusal on the purchase of ACV-listed community assets that are put up for sale. If a deal cannot be agreed, an independent valuer, appointed by the Council concerned, will set the price based on market value. Also, the moratorium period is extended from six to twelve months and ACV nominating groups now have a right of appeal against Council refusal
decisions, The legislation applies to existing ACVs as well as any new ones. The recent good news, though, is the Government announcement of a £61 million Community Right to Buy Fund. This will ‘empower communities – focussing on the most deprived areas – to take ownership of valued assets such as pubs…..It will directly support communities in taking advantage of the Community Right to Buy…and will support efforts to revitalise local high streets….’
There are two obvious caveats here. Firstly, pubs would need to be ACV-listed to qualify for possible funding so that currently restricts the scheme to England. However, the Welsh Government has just announced their intention also to introduce a community right to buy, which will presumably involve introduction of an ACV scheme. Scotland already has a community right to buy (of sorts), We would therefore expect the devolved governments to receive additional funding for community facility saving purposes. Secondly, we need clarification about the stated focus on ‘the most deprived areas’; at present there are very few community-owned or, indeed, ACV-listed, pubs in such areas which raises questions about likely take up levels. Relevant officials have been contacted on both issues.