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Your Voice Has Been Heard
The application relies on the assertion that the pub is not valued by its community. With nearly 140 survey responses and 240 planning objections, this shows overwhelming support for the pub. In addition the Bell Inn is now registered as an Asset of Community Value.
The application also asserts that the pub is not financially viable and along with many other responses The Save The Bell Inn Group ('STBIG') have submitted a detailed rebuttal of the applicants financial viability study as well as a financial model that shows that The Bell Inn can not only survive financially but thrive on the basis as a community owned pub.
Thanks to the community response, the planning application will now be heard at a public meeting which we believe will be scheduled on 10th April at 4 pm at the new council HQ in Castle Quay shopping centre Banbury, and we would urge as many people as possible to attend. We will confirm this once the agenda is published around 3rd April.
This planning meeting will focus on the key material planning considerations that can be seen on this page, the value to the community and the finacial viability of the pub. STBIG will be able to present the community views at the meeting where we will be able to make the case for financial viability under community ownership.
Material Planning Considerations
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and how these should be applied.
Here are some examples (bold our emphasis) of how it is relevant to The Bell Inn:
It states, in Section 6. Building a strong, competitive economy, subsection Supporting a prosperous rural economy, paragraph 88.
"Planning policies and decisions should enable: d) the retention and development of accessible local services and community facilities, such as local shops, meeting places, sports venues, open space, cultural buildings, public houses and places of worship."
It states, in Section 8. Promoting healthy and safe communities, paragraph 97.
"To provide the social, recreational and cultural facilities and services the community needs, planning policies and decisions should: a) plan positively for the provision and use of shared spaces, community facilities (such as local shops, meeting places, sports venues, open space, cultural buildings, public houses and places of worship) and other local services to enhance the sustainability of communities and residential environments."
The NPPF also acts as the framework within which local development plans allow development in a sustainable manner. Planning law requires that applications for planning permission be determined in accordance with the relevant local development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
The latest Cherwell Local Plan retains a policy first adopted in 1996:
“S29 PROPOSALS THAT WILL INVOLVE THE LOSS OF EXISTING VILLAGE SERVICES WHICH SERVE THE BASIC NEEDS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY WILL NOT NORMALLY BE PERMITTED.
4.72 The District Council recognises the importance of village services, particularly the local shop and pub, to the local community and will seek to resist the loss of such facilities whenever possible. However, it is also recognised that it will be difficult to resist the loss of such facilities when they are proven to be no longer financially viable in the long term.”
Important Notes about the Planning Application
The developer's planning application claims and tries to set out that the pub isn't financially viable, by including a report which has been commissioned to show exactly that.
Whilst at first glance the report looks professional and detailed, most of it is template or generic material. The parts which are specific to The Bell Inn, rely heavily on assumptions and information provided by the new owner/ developer. The viability assessment and planning statement also almost completely ignore the possibility of a community-run model for the pub, and provide no evidence that this could not work.
We do not think that The Bell Inn is "proven to be no longer financially viable in the long term".
The Save The Bell Inn Group (STBIG) is working on an alternative vision of viability and we we will be sharing this with the commnuity for your input in the near future, and this will be also be shared with CDC decision-makers.
Please take at the developers financial viability report and include in your comments whether or not you think the assumptions which lead to the conclusion are sound, and whether the information they are based upon is reliable and unbiased.
The council advised the developer during pre-application that the subsequent application would need to set out five things:
Reasons for closure – account records for at least the last 3 years of trading, which needs to include trade prior to the pandemic
Viability assessment – as a facility rather than a particular business/business model
How the premises has been marketed, where, for how long, at what price (and whether the price has been reduced or not)
The comments from those that have viewed the premises
The local market – pubs in the local area that are open and those that have closed/been sold over the last few years.
The planning portal is now closed for comments.