New planning rules ‘could blight high streets with empty pubs’
Angela Rayner’s attempt to stop pubs being redeveloped into offices and housing could “blight high streets” with empty venues, property experts have warned. The housing secretary has unveiled reforms to planning rules which mean that developers can only turn a pub into housing or an office if there is no reasonable prospect that it can [...]
The proposed changes to planning rules may result in empty pubs on high streets, according to property experts. The housing secretary Angela Rayner introduced reforms to the planning system, requiring developers to only convert pubs into offices or housing if there's no chance of the pub continuing to operate. Additionally, developers would need to prove the pub has been listed for sale for at least a year.
However, Real Estate UK, a property investor and developer association, warns that these rules could backfire. Policy director Ion Fletcher argues that the 12-month ban on redevelopment could cause town centres to be filled with empty pubs, hindering the construction of new homes and local amenities. Property lawyer Nick Leavey from Morr & Co suggests that these rules could turn struggling pubs into "stranded assets," creating empty buildings instead of thriving community pubs.
James Clark, a planning expert at Foot Anstey, believes the 12-month requirement could slow down regeneration projects when there's little chance of a pub returning to its original use. While hospitality industry figures support the government's effort to safeguard pubs, they warn that recent tax increases, such as business rates and national insurance, are a bigger threat to the industry.
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