Local Planning Document Defective

In a rare case of them actually turning down a development Lib Dem councillors are crowing at how they appear to have 'saved' the Queen Edith pub from demolition at yesterday's South Area Committee.

Normally they hide behind the rigidness of the planning rules, the quasi-judicial planning process and their fear of the (exaggerated) cost of rejections going to appeal and being awarded to the appellant. However, in this case the Lib Dems seem to have rejected the application (10/0815/FUL).

Planning decisions currently can only be made with reference to national and local planning guidelines. The Lib Dems in Cambridge are responsibile for our own local plan but the plan is defective. It offers:

• No protection for pubs.
• Inadequate defence for Cambridge's distinct heritage and low skyline.
• A crazy rule limiting the number of parking spaces permitted per new dwelling to less than one.

This last rule is building in huge transport problems for the future, when we've got enough parking problems as it is. The new development in the station area will introduce no new parking, causing even greater problems around Rustat Road while new developments across the city are making local parking problems worse and worse all the time.

This is just the start of the problems. With 'affordable housing' quotas limiting housing for those in the middle band Cambridge is quite simply a planning disaster zone. Conservatives have been battling the Lib Dems over planning for years, both centrally and in clashes in Lib Dem-held wards like Trumpington. We won't stop holding them to account.

Meanwhile we'll see if the Queen Edith really is saved or if a new application is forthcoming or an appeal is lodged. It is frustrating when large pub companies and breweries try to argue that planning permission for housing is justified on the basis that they haven't been able to run a good business - let a smaller business or independent publican have a go!

Saving the Portland Arms

Whilst congratulations are due to campaigners against the demolition of the Portland Arms for persuading the owners/developers to change their current plans, the threat to this pub (or indeed any other pub in the City) has not gone away.

The problem is that pubs, even though in many cases they are a key community asset, have no protection at all in the planning system, under national or local Cambridge City planning policies. I would like to see local planning policies changed to give protection to pubs that do serve a significant community purpose, with a presumption that planning applications including their demolition or change or use won't be accepted in this case.

In the meantime, there are other protections that can be placed on a building. 'Listed' status does give significant protection from demolition. Requests for buildings to be added to the Statutory list are made to and decided by English Heritage, who assess the buildings according to set national criteria.

I understand that CAMRA have asked English Heritage for the Portland Arms to be listed, and this request is pending, but there has been a previous failed attempt to get the building listed.

Another form of protection could come from making the Portland Arms a 'Building of Local Interest' - a process the City Council controls. This would then become a possible reason to reject planning applications that do significantly affect the building.

This has already been requested for the Portland Arms, and I have supported those calls - I hope the Council can move forward on this proposal quickly, before any more pubs are lost.

This week a planning application was submitted to turn the Penny Ferry in Chesterton into five four bedroom houses, the Jubilee on Catharine Street has already seen a similar application for residential development - the Duke of Argyle pub site on Argyle Street having been sold and converted to housing with a significant profit for the developers last year. These won't be the last unless the planners can wake up to the problem.

In happier news - and a shameless commercial break - the Devonshire Arms is due to reopen in the next week or two. I had a sneak preview of the work in progress this week - I think they are doing a really good job, and it will be a great addition to the real ale circuit in the area as well as an asset for the community.

I should declare an interest - I am a shareholder in Individual Pubs, the company that will be running the Devonshire Arms - I'm also a member of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale.

Portland Arms saved

Great news from the north of the city: the Portland Arms is no longer in danger of being knocked down and replaced with rabbit hutches and a soulless replacement pub (or perhaps more likely, in keeping with most new developments, no pub).

The Facebook campaign group has the news. Well done to the campaigners for drawing attention to the plans. It would have been a great shame to lose this venue, which is invaluable to many musicians.

Save the Great British Pub!