CAMRA devises pub viability test

February 28, 2005: CAMRA has launched a public house viability test, providing guidelines to assist local authorities and local communities in determining the viability of a pub threatened by closure.

It has been launched by the consumer group during National Pubs Week. The test contains more than 50 questions that can be used to determine the viability of a public house, including:

l How many adults live in a one-mile radius?

l Are there any developments planned for the area?

l Does the pub act as a focus for community activities?

l Has the pub ever included in any visitor or tourist guide?

The test has been successfully used to fight many pub closures, nonetheless CAMRA estimates that about 20 pubs a month continue to be lost, in most cases forever.

CAMRA says 60 per cent of local authorities now have policies which give some protection to pubs. However the key issue in determining whether permission will be granted to convert a pub to another use remains that of viability. The test seeks to provide guidelines that can help local authorities objectively test claims of non-viability put forward by developers.

Mike Benner, CAMRA chief executive, said: "Our new public house viability test provides an invaluable tool to planning officers and local communities alike who are faced with the loss of a valued public house. It is not unknown for potential developers to run a public house down with the intention of making a quick buck by converting it into housing.

"More and more local authorities are waking up to the loss of public houses and are adopting policies to prevent their loss. This test aims to assist them in this process. It is not a backdoor attempt to ensure all pubs remain open, but is a means to ensure potentially successful pubs are not lost forever."