Communities across Bristol are fighting to save their local pubs

The Adam & Eve in Hotwells, the Giant Goram in Lawrence Weston, the Merchants Arms in Stapleton, the Rhubarb Tavern in Barton Hill and the Windmill in Windmill Hill.

These are just a few of the pubs across Bristol where battles are being fought by local community groups who do not want them to disappear forever.

Once the last pint has been pulled in a pub, it is extremely difficult to resurrect it, which makes all the more important the Bristol & District branch of CAMRA’s renewed support for communities trying to save their local pubs.

Campaigners gather outside the Windmill in July 2020 – photo: Ellie Pipe

CAMRA have written to all Bristol city councillors calling for their support for pubs, especially ones under threat of being lost forever.

Bristol CAMRA pubs group chair, Nigel Morris, said: “We have been supporting these campaigns over recent months and were heartened to see that, in some cases, despite a few setbacks, local community groups are still determined to save their neighbourhood pubs.

“The pubs in question have been closed for a while but are still much missed by the community.

“It is often said that pubs would not close if they were viable. However, there are numerous examples of pubs around the country that were deemed unviable by the owners only to turn into thriving pubs under new ownership.”

Morris said that pub owners sometimes want to cash in on the value of the property which can be worth a lot more for residential or other purposes, and this is particularly the case in Bristol with its high property values.

He said: “Pubs have been at the heart of our communities for many years and the people trying to save these pubs clearly believe that they can once again be turned into thriving locals.

“In some cases, community groups are looking at buying these pubs, demonstrating the belief that they can be financially viable and successful.

“We have lost quite a few pubs in Bristol in recent years and some areas now have no or hardly any pubs left.”

The Merchants Arms in Stapleton opened in 1938 and served the local community for almost 80 years – photo: Martin Booth

When communities are prepared to organise themselves to try and save their local pubs, CAMRA has pledged to support them and offer advice.

The Bristol branch is now lobbying city councillors to ask them to support these efforts and raise awareness of the council’s specific policies to save pubs.

Morris added: “It is encouraging to note that, in several cases, ward councillors have ‘called in’ the planning applications so any decision on their future will need to be made by the full planning committee rather than delegated to planning officers.

“We are backing the efforts by local people to save their locals and hope to see these pubs reopening their doors as pubs to communities in the not-too-distant future.”

Main photo: Martin Booth

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