01-Jan-2006 what's Brewing - MPs Move to Halt Demise of our local pubs
Key role for Campaign in help group
A SURGE in demand for advice to help revitalise rural pubs and maintain essential local services has seen the expansion of the Pub is the Hub initiative, with the establishment of a national steering group and regional committees!
The brainchild of Prince Charles, the organisation has been encouraging people to keep their village pubs at the heart of community life since it was set up in 2001.
And in recognition of the work done by CAMRA to protect community pubs, Chief Executive Mike Benner has been invited to sit on the national steering group.
Mr Benner said: "We have been heavily involved with Pub is the Hub since it was first formed and have made several donations to support its initiatives."
Regional committees have now been set up in areas with the highest demand for help-the East Midlands, North-West and Yorkshire -and plans have been drawn up for regional committees across England once funds are in place.
Pub is the Hub co-ordinator John Longden said: "Demand for help to date has far exceeded our capacity, with more than 60 individual requests a week, and this new development will mean much more can be achieved.
"With the funding so far committed, we are now on the way to our target of £300,000 per annum, although we are not there just yet.
A DELUGE of constituents' complaints of vi-able locals facing extinction has prompted the influential All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group into launching an inquiry into the threats facing Britain's community pubs.
The MPs' unofficial inquiry follows CAMRA research published earlier this year revealing that 26 community pubs were closing every month, in stark contrast to the onward march of high-street vertical drinking warehouses.
The parliamentary group wants to find out if pubs are being strangled by regulatory red tape or are under undue economic pressure because of inflation-busting property prices.
Welcoming the MPs' move, CAMRA Head of Policy & Public Affairs Jonathan Mail said: "Rural and backstreet pubs are under threat and in need of special protection. We will certainly be making a submission to the inquiry on how the situation could be improved.
"As a first step the government could give discretionary rate relief to urban pubs as well as to rural pubs and reduce a significant cost to businesses trading at the margin. Steps should also be taken to reinvigorate high streets, so that they appeal to a wider range of people in the evening
"And the government should act to encourage pubs to diversify into additional businesses, such as a shop or post office, to boost their trade and help revive local communities."
CAMRA's submission will also call for the better provision of public transport, guest beer rights for thousands of pub tenants, and a simplification of the licensing and regulatory
APPBG chairman John Grogan said: "Most of my parliamentary colleagues will have received representations from local pubs in their constituencies about the regulatory and economic pressures they face.
"This inquiry will provide an opportunity for a thorough look at these issues while examining the role of the pub in its local community and ways in which the government could better support it."
The inquiry also wants evidence of how communities have worked together to ensure the continuing economic viability of their local pubs.
The panel, being chaired by Burton MP Janet Dean and Nigel Evans of Ribble Valley, will invite ministers to respond to its findings before publishing its recommendations in June.
Written evidence should be submitted via an MS Word document, by email to humphreysr@parliament.uk by the end of January 2006.
PITH MPs move to halt demise Whats Brewing 20060100.pdf