PUB GOERS across the region are being urged to help protect their local as part of a new scheme launched by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMA) and the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA).
The two organisations have joined forces for the ‘List Your Local’ in the wake of the Crooked House fire and demolition to review historic pubs across the West Midlands.
They want to ensure those valuable to their communities are properly protected if they are at risk.
A ‘target list’ has been compiled of suitable heritage pubs which could benefit from the scheme, mostly in Birmingham.
Currently the only one in Coventry is the Town Wall Tavern in the city centre.
There are 1,200 pubs in the WMCA area, yet only 133 of them are on Historic England listings
Residents are being urged to visit wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/protecting-our-pubs/ to nominate the ones they think should be on the list.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, said: “Protecting our local pubs isn’t just about preserving bricks and mortar – it’s about safeguarding the heart and soul of our communities.
“That’s why we’ve teamed up with CAMRA to take action in the wake of the Crooked House case to ensure we do not see a repeat of a beloved pub being put at risk of being consigned to history.
“We believe we have already identified some of the most at-risk historical pubs in the region, but we need people to make their recommendations to us to ensure we are helping to protect the right venues.”
Gary Timmins, director of CAMRA pub and club campaigns, added: “The complete destruction of the iconic Crooked House pub has brought a nationwide scandal to the forefront of people’s minds.
“Developers continue to flout the rules with pubs routinely converted or demolished without permissions in place, denying people the chance to save their local.
“Community assets need support if they are to survive and thrive against a backdrop of rising costs.
“CAMRA believes it is vital local venues are marketed as going concerns and everything possible is done to secure their future as community pubs.
“We are also campaigning to give councils more powers to save and reinstate pubs after the Crooked House incident and call on the government to use the Autumn Budget Statement to extend vital help with business rates.”
As well as reviewing historical sites, the WMCA and CAMRA’s review also explores how local plans can be better utilised to protect pubs.
The document also recommends an extension to the hospitality discount rate.
Pubs currently benefit from a 75 per cent discount on their business rate bills, capped at £110,000, but this is due to end in March 2024.
The Mayor and WMCA officials met with Dudley MP Marco Longhi’s office, CAMRA, Historic England, and local authorities in the West Midlands as part of a roundtable to discuss ways of better protecting pubs.
