The Yorkshire town of Otley, already famous for its many pubs, has achieved a notable first. It is the first town in the country to have succeeded in a multiple application to have all 19 pubs in the town listed as Assets of Community Value.
By obtaining ACV status it means that the pubs and the community have a greater degree of protection against change of use deliberate sale for alternative use such as a supermarket.
The application was made to Leeds City Council by Otley Pub Club, a voluntary community organisation which exists to support and promote the town’s pubs. Its chairman, Andy Fitzgerald said: “This is great news for the pubs and the town and I am delighted that Otley has become the first place in the country to have all its pubs listed as Assets of Community Value and very proud that Otley Pub Club has achieved this.
“Otley is well known as a famous pub town and this will boost that reputation further still and I hope will lead to even more people coming into Otley to enjoy the town’s pubs and history.”
Greg Mulholland, the clubs’ president added: “Now that all Otley’s pubs are officially listed as Assets of Community Value, it is clear to everyone that all of them are valued and now have some protection against change of use or deliberate sale for alternative use. This is good news for Otley and a real boost for the ACV initiative and I hope we will see many more whole town listings in the next few months”.
In practice it means that no pub can be put up for sale for alternative use without an opportunity for the community to do something about it and without it going through the planning process.
Otley Pub Club is an organisation created by local pub supporters and local publicans. Free to join, it is a way for Otley people to support their local pubs and enjoy the wide selection of real ales and for publicans to communicate with each other and their customers. The club campaigns on behalf of pubs where needed and organises social events, runs a web site and publishes a popular monthly newsletter and the successful Ale Trail leaflet. It has had success in the past in getting several of the town’s pubs reopened after closure and in encouraging investment in existing pubs.
For more information visit www.otleypubclub.co.uk
