Not all pubs have reopened, some may never welcome regulars again.
Pub closures have been a running concern as many which lined main roads, served local estates and communities are lost for ever, unfortunately too often also seeing poor quality conversions or demolition.
The old boozer, which was the centre of work and community life feels increasingly a thing of the past as habits change and so too does the industry, with a much greater shift to food and dining.
For many working class communities the housing which sprung up to accommodate the mill and factory workers which were such a strong feature of towns like Chadderton, Oldham and Royton were interspersed with buildings of note which stood out; churches, banks, and pubs. Each added to the character of the neighbourhoods they served and in the case of the church and the pub were where people came together. As church attendance diminishes they too are under significant threat, and with them the risk that another historic building could be lost.
While there is little any government can or should do in tackling declining church attendance, it must have a better plan to deal with the historic building left behind. And for the local pub much more should be done to step in and provide communities the support they need to stop the loss of what can still be viable assets.
When the Bowling Green pub at Hollinwood faced demolition to make way for (another) KFC and Starbucks Drive-Thru the response in support of its loss pointed to the nearby Spinners Arms and Bridgewater Inn. As we emerge from the pandemic and the terrible impact on hospitality it is clear we will see some pubs never return.
Today the boards remain on the Spinners Arms, and the metal shutters lock out the old regulars from the Bridgewater Inn, with local rumours it may become (another) McDonalds Drive-Thru.
We’ve also seen the Hare and Hounds which was a longstanding town centre watering hole, and the former Old Tatts at Chadderton, which was under pressure before the pandemic hit.
More must be done to give power to communities to come together and fight to save their local pub. They are not just places to drink, they are places to socialise, to feel connected and to be part of a community. As isolation and loneliness only seems to get worse, it is vital we do not loose viable facilities.
None of us expect a pub with few customers to remain open while the owner takes the hit. But it is a fact that some pubs which have a following are being put at risk just because they are seen as ripe development opportunities, either by property developers or multi-national corporations keen to see every high street and main road a carbon copy.
There is a route through registering pubs, libraries, and a host of other facilities as an Asset of Community Value. While it does not stop owners deciding to sell up, that of course is their right, it does allow for the local community to step in. Nominations to list assets of community value can be accepted from any group of at least 21 local people who appear on the electoral roll within the local authority, or a neighbouring local authority. The names must also be from separate households. Love it? List it! is the Co-operative Party’s campaign to help communities take the first step to protect the loved local places like parks, pubs and post offices from being sold-off.
We’re aiming to list over 1,000 local spots as “assets of community value” and fighting to give communities more powers to protect and eventually own the local places that bind them together.
In the recent budget a £150m fund to help communities take over local pubs at threat of closure was established, meaning there is financial support.
Under the fund, which will open in the summer, community groups will be able to bid for up to £250,000 of matched-funding to help them to buy local pubs to run as community-owned businesses.
Though we can’t save every closure, I am keen to do all I can to help local communities list properties and ensure we retain these vital community facilities.
Not all pubs have reopened, some may never welcome regulars again.
Jim McMahon MP 