More than 50 protestors battled wind and rain to demonstrate outside a pub on Saturday (9) following news it could lose its Asset of Community Value (ACV) status.

The Camp Pub in St Albans, was closed at short notice in May last year after trading for more than 100 years and sold to Howarth Homes.

The developers lodged a planning application with St Albans district council to demolish the pub and build 25 apartments on the site.

But following a petition to the district council, the pub was granted ACV status, giving it additional protection from development.

Howarth Homes have put in an appeal for the ACV status to be lifted, but the St Albans branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) and the Save the Camp campaign group protested on Saturday in a bid to stop this from happening.

Steve Bury, secretary of the Save the Camp campaign group, said: “The large turnout by both local residents and pub enthusiasts emphasises the high value of the pub to the local community. “The aim of the demonstration was to highlight support for the pub to be reopened for the community, despite the building having been boarded up since May.”

To object to the planning application, objections should be sent to the district council before next Wednesday, January 20.

The planning application reference number is 5/2015/3468 and the planning portal reference is 4667404.

Steve added: “Please contact any other supporters that you know as it is crucial that we get a large number of objections if we are going to save our local”