St Albans pub listed as an asset of community value
The Camp pub - Credit: Archant
A troubled St Albans pub has been listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) following an online petition and a campaign from locals.
A decision was made to close The Camp in Camp Road two days earlier than announced - Credit: Archant
The Camp in Camp Road St Albans was sold to housing developer, Howarth Homes, in May.
But a campaign to list the pub as an ACV quickly reached the 21 signatures required to submit an application and prevented Howarth Homes from developing the site until a decision was made.
More than 600 people then signed an online petition on the campaign website, 38 Degrees, urging the council to grant the pub ACV status.
Last week the council accepted the application and the pub has become the first of its kind in St Albans to be listed as an ACV.
Steve Bury, who ran the ‘Save the Camp’ campaign group, said: “It’s a great thing. The pub’s now got a level of protection from development.
“If they want to develop or build on the site they need to apply for a change of use.”
Now that the pub is listed as an ACV, the community are given first refusal should Howarth Homes decide to sell the building.
Under those circumstances, members of the community would then have a period of six months to raise the funds to buy the premises.
But Steve said: “That is a bit of a long shot. I’m just happy we’ve got protection of the pub for now.”
Most Read
- 1 Suspected loan sharks arrested in Hemel Hempstead
- 2 Meet the artist behind The Queen's Platinum Jubilee mural in St Albans
- 3 Building company resurfaces bridleway to provide safe route for riders and walkers
- 4 St Albans shop showcasing small independents by renting out shelves
- 5 See inside this loft style apartment in a former hat factory
- 6 Foodies queue to try street food sourced, cooked and served in Herts
- 7 Train timetable shakeup due in St Albans and Watford from May 15
- 8 MoonWalk success for the St Albans cancer survivor and her Belgian Buns
- 9 Company of Ten's A Bunch of Amateurs production 'milks the comedy for all its worth' at the Abbey Theatre
- 10 Woman found in canal near M25 in Hertfordshire
Phil Defriez, the chairman of South Herts Camra (Campaign for Real Ale), said it was “great news”.
He added: “We did not like what’d happened, that it was sold without any care about the customer or the community.
“It’s the only pub for miles around and it’s good news that the council have listened to the people.”
The Camp Road pub closed its doors on May 16, two days earlier than planned, due to a suspected arson attack on a staff car.
Howarth Homes are likely to appeal the decision.
