CAMRA has welcomed the potentially game-changing new £61m Community Right to Buy Fund, which could help communities buy a local at risk of being sold, converted or demolished.
The Campaign has made it clear to government it needed to reinstate funding allowing community groups to take ownership of their much-needed pubs after the previous fund was axed in 2024.
The £61m Pride in Place Community Right to Buy Fund was announced by communities secretary Steve Reed yesterday who said it will “empower communities to take ownership of valued local assets such as pubs, clubs and community centres, reversing the decline in shared public spaces and supporting social connection”.
CAMRA’s national planning policy adviser Paul Ainsworth said: “The number of community-owned pubs opening has noticeably slowed down over the last year. This is undoubtedly connected to the demise of the Community Ownership Fund which made it much harder for locals to raise cash to save their pub. Without suitable and accessible funding, many community groups were simply priced out of trying to save their local from oblivion. We are awaiting the full details, but the news of this new funding looks set to be a vital lifeline for many pubs which are under threat of closure or conversion.
“Vibrant communities and flourishing local economies depend on pubs not only surviving but thriving. Community ownership is a fantastic pathway to securing a pub at the heart of community life for decades to come – a pub run by the people, for the people.”
