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The pub saving toolkit – part 2
n the last issue we advised on information gathering and
Igetting ahead of the game. How many readers have since
submitted nominations for their local pub to be registered
as an Asset of Community Value? We know of several who
have unfortunately been knocked back. If this is your
experience, do not be disheartened. Apply again! There is
no restriction on the number of nominations you can make,
or how many times you add supplementary information to
a nomination where a Council remains reluctant. It is not
uncommon for Councils to ask for more information or
evidence about how your particular local furthers the social
wellbeing or social interests of the community, as required
by Section 88 of the Localism Act. Our previous article on
getting ahead of the game should provide you with enough
pointers for assembling and compiling the essential
information about your favourite pub. Forewarned is
forearmed. In this edition we describe some of the tools
and techniques used in mounting a really successful
campaign.
CAMPAIGNS: FORMING & SUSTAINING
Never underestimate how physically and mentally
exhausting saving a pub can be. Not a day will go by in
which you do not feel like packing it all in and hiding under
your duvet. You need to sustain yourself by constantly
dreaming of the Moon under Water and how good that first
pint in your ‘saved’ pub will taste. Those of us who have
been there, fought the fight, faced the struggle, and
overcome the doubt, can attest to that; it’s an indescribable
sensation. (Editor’s note: see our item on the East London
& City Pub of the Year for proof).
GEARING UP FOR A FIGHT
In fighting to save a pub, time is of the essence. The instant
you realise your pub is threatened you need to press that
campaign launch button. There really is no time to lose.
Well-orchestrated and high profile campaigns have not only
deterred or delayed developers in submitting planning
applications or implementing changes of use but in some
cases they have scared developers away. As soon as Tesco
Stores Ltd felt the strength of opposition at the Wheatsheaf
in Tooting, they withdrew their interest and moved aside for
Antic to take over the pub. The ACV and a good deal of
publicity at the Antwerp Arms in Tottenham forced the
house builder to abandon his plans and sell the pub to the
local community. The might of London’s LGBT+ community
coming down firmly behind the iconic Black Cap in Camden
has so far resulted in two planning refusals and the scaring
off of a café operator. It would appear that the pub is now
back in the hands of a pub operator (see page 50).
Campaigns have worked, and do work, all over Britain. Pub
lovers need to get themselves organised and be prepared
to dig in for the long haul. There can be no half measures.
To paraphrase Churchill, it will be necessary to ‘…wage war
by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the
strength that God can give us: to wage war against a
monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark lamentable
catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.’ Be prepared
for the blood, sweat, toil and tears. There is a huge amount
of money at stake for developers. On the other hand, there
is a huge amount of heritage, culture and community
cohesion at stake for us. CAMRA loves pubs. And we
embrace those with passion and dedication and
resourcefulness in fighting to keep them.
PICKING YOUR TEAM
It is always wise to play to your strengths. Build a coalition
of the willing but try to ensure you have a good range of
skills on your team. Planners, solicitors, barristers,
politicians, journalists, writers and general organisers are the
skills you will need. Any general rabble rousers are also a
force for good, provided the message remains positive and
focussed. It is a good idea to appoint a chairman or
figurehead. This needs to be a strong leader. Pub
campaigns can be very stressful environments and good
leadership and order will be essential in keeping the
campaign on track. Your next most important role is the
campaign secretary. In a virtual team, communications are
vital. Select someone who is a fussy details person.
Engineers or accountants are both ideally suited to this role,
as are literary scholars and historians. The secretary needs
to make certain that all the ‘i’s and ‘t’s are dotted and
crossed respectively and that everyone is kept in the loop.
These days a social media officer is a given. You should
exploit social media not only to communicate with your own
executive team, subject to security and privacy
considerations, but also your wider network of campaigners
and the public at large, including local and national media,
whom you will need to manage skilfully to retain them as
allies, paint you in a positive light, and keep the story alive.
It is quite an art.
THE CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP
In order to keep your campaign slick and efficient, with
decisions being made in a timely manner, it is best to keep
a small executive committee, limited to the essential roles
of chairman, secretary, media relations and perhaps two
others e.g. treasurer and planning advisor. This executive
will set the high level strategy and act as a steering
committee to direct the campaign. It is vital that they have
the support and trust of the wider campaign and they need
to have an unquestioning belief in the cause and be
prepared to always act in the interests of saving the pub, to
the cost of almost all other considerations. It can be tough
at the top.
When significant decisions need to be made, e.g. opting
to raise funds in order to bid to purchase the pub if sold, or
deciding to join a planning appeal as a Rule 6 party., or
joining an appeal against an ACV registration, the executive
needs to judge if these are covered by an existing mandate
and whether such moves will continue to enjoy the support
of the wider community. To that end it is a good idea to
periodically renew your mandate in such matters and the
easiest way is to communicate with the full campaign via
email. There is rarely much value in inviting the wider
campaign to face to face meetings, unless there is a matter
which requires significant discussion and might attract a
range of views, or benefit from a range of ideas. Exploit the
tools available in the digital age.
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS
A campaign website should be one of your earliest priorities.
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