The Horse and Groom has become the second pub in Brighton to be listed as an asset of community value.
Campaigners wanting to save the Islingword Road pub, which closed in February, were told yesterday that their application to Brighton and Hove City Council to get it listed has been successful.
This means that if it is sold, the community must be given six months to put together a bid to buy it.
But the campaign may be too late, as it has already been sold by Enterprise Inns to local developer Craig Dwyer-Smith, who has ripped out the interior and advertised it for let.
However, after the regulations were beefed up just this week, it does mean full planning permission will be needed for any change of use, and the listing can be taken into account in considering any application.
And in an indication of how the council may treat future applications, the planning committee rejected plans to change the first pub to become an ACV, the Rose Hill Tavern, into flats rejected last week.
Ronnie Daye, of the Save the Groom campaign, said: “They can’t do anything with it. They’ve ripped the guts out of the place but as of 6 April, they’re sunk.
“We are now standing back and regrouping to see what we can do as a community, and with finances.
“We have got some work to do. We’re going to raise more money and we’re going to bring back a music venue into everybody’s lives.”
However, Craig Dwyer-Smith will be appealing the listing. His agent Steve Culverhouse said: “In accordance with the Localism Act 2011 we have requested a review of the council’s decision to list the property as an ACV and so it is not appropriate to comment in detail whilst the review is under way.
“We are confident that the listing will soon be revoked and the matter resolved.”
The Horse and Groom is the third building to be listed as an ACV, after the Saltdean Lido, now run by a community interest company, and the Rose Hill Tavern.
I like a pint as much as the next wo/man but this is getting silly. Why did these pubs fail in the first place… lack of patronage. The asset of community value listing should incorporate a viability test – abandonment by the local community should be a consideration in this process. How many areas in Brighton/Hove have a shortage of pubs – not many according to my kids – they can still get an affordable(ish) pint. But turning to housing, the situation is crazy. The basic answer is we need more homes (not that this is in the interests of the house builders). We need the housing equivalent of Wetherspooons in my view more than we need these niche pubs. Blocking change of use in this way just tells investors and developers that we are closed for business as a city and difficult to deal with. It won’t help my kids and it won’t help the city….
I live in Hanover and this was a viable pub, local gossip says the Landlord who was near retirement age was not interested as he said Enterprise Pubco wanting to increase rent. Enterprise inns have been doing this all over the place as thier January trading statement said they need to realise £50million assets this year alone, so many viable trading pubs are now being sold off for flats that is why they have ACV. this property was put up for sale, many locals called up and told unavailable, then all of a sudden oddly closed without any closing parties -this really annoyed everyone and the local community is going to fight tooth and nail to get the place back!