Labour peer's vow to help save community pubs

A LABOUR peer has backed calls for a tightening up of planning laws to protect pubs from being converted.

Speaking in this week’s House of Lords debate on the Neighbourhood Planning Bill, Lord Kennedy of Southwark said he would work to roll out legislation which says pubs shouldn’t be redeveloped without planning permission.

In his speech at the despatch box, Lord Kennedy said: ‘I give notice to the minister that we shall be proposing an amendment in committee to remove the permitted development rights for pubs in England and to place pubs in a class of their own.’

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‘Permitted development rights allow the change of use of pubs to retail and temporary office use without planning permission, with communities denied a say over the loss of valuable community assets.’