THE Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is launching a new initiative to protect 3,000 pubs from demolition or conversion for other uses – as new statistics released recently show 29 pubs a week are being lost across the UK.

CAMRA will be mobilising its members in England to nominate their local pub as an asset of community value and offer advice and guidance to other community groups looking to do the same. Pubs with such status are given a certain level of “planning protection” under laws introduced in April.

With 800 pubs currently nominated, the initiative aims to raise the profile of assets of community value to the pub-going public and increase the number with the status to 3,000 by the end of 2016 – an ambitious target, but one which CAMRA say is essential if England’s pubs are to be properly protected.

“Holes in the current planning system allow pubs to be sold off, demolished or converted to many other uses without planning permission or the involvement of the local community,” said Tom Stainer, CAMRA’s head of communications.

“However, when a pub is nominated as an asset of community value it automatically receives planning protection meaning it is no longer a soft target to would-be developers looking to quickly purchase and convert or demolish the pub – which in some instances has happened overnight.”

CAMRA is inviting other local community groups to work with it in gaining this vital protection and urges community groups, or individuals, to get in touch with their local CAMRA branch to highlight valued pubs.

“Nominating a pub as an asset of community value is a simple process,” added Mr Stainer. “You can either nominate as an unincorporated group of 21 local people, as a parish council, or in connection with another local group including a CAMRA branch.”

Some towns have even gone as far as nominating every pub in their area to ensure that they are all protected for years to come, he added.

CAMRA says the asset of community value system doesn’t go far enough to curb the closure of pubs in the UK and that the next step should be to extend the same protection to every pub in the country England.