Here’s the kind of campaign that Fleet Street veterans would appreciate: save our pubs. “Be vocal for your local” has been launched by The Press in York.
It “may not be as important as stamping out poverty, but we think saving local pubs has much merit”, says the paper. It is urging readers to support its demand for the government to close what it terms “a planning loophole” that allows pubs to be turned into other enterprises without planning permission.
Evidently, pub premises are being acquired and then transformed into convenience stores, bookmakers or even, perish the thought, estate agents.
The paper’s campaign was stimulated by the news that three of the city’s pubs are to become supermarkets. It also wants the council to place legal protection on all of its pubs.
HoldTheFrontPage quotes reporter Alex Ross as saying: “We want the council to protect pubs in York and the government to change the law to give those who use pubs a democratic say on whether their pubs should be kept. By working with landlords and the Campaign for Real Ale we believe we can achieve the changes.”
I wish them the best on that. But pubs are closing down across Britain because they can’t turn a profit. Time, clearly, for young journalists to learn how we used to help publicans - by drinking as fast as they could pour.
