Bob Neill has secured a Debate in the House of Commons, to draw attention to LiDL’s plans to demolish the Porcupine public house in Mottingham. The debate will take place on 21st May 2013.
Robert Neill (Bromley and Chislehurst) (Con): The Leader of the House will be aware that the Government’s provisions to enable assets of community value to be listed have already proved useful in saving valued community services such as village shops and public houses from closure. He may, however, share my concern that some of the major public house operators—known as pubcos—are seeking to circumvent the proposals by selling pubs through private contracts with commercial developers without the sale ever being advertised and, therefore, without the community having any notice of what is happening until the pub closes overnight and an application to demolish the premises, often on specious grounds of security costs, is made the next day. This has happened in my constituency, where Enterprise Inns surreptitiously sold the Porcupine public house to Lidl. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on this subject?
Mr Lansley: My hon. Friend is, of course, an asset of considerable value in this House and he played a significant part, through the Localism Act 2011, in securing the much-valued measures. I agree with him. Parishes in my own constituency have seen the value of the assets of community value provisions, which should not be circumvented. I will, of course, ensure that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government hears what my hon. Friend has said, and he might be able to take action.
On Tuesday 14th May, Bob Neill and the Pubs Minister, Brandon Lewis MP, will be attending a public rally at the Porcupine pub at 10:30am. He anticipates a large turnout from local residents, which will send a strong message to LiDL that their plans are deeply unpopular. Speaking about Tuesday’s Ministerial visit, Bob Neill MP said:
“LiDL needs to get a grip - and fast. I have never seen any major supermarket firm adopt such a heavy-handed and dismissive attitude towards its prospective community.
“By employing such secretive practices, and favouring bulldozers over consultation, the company’s reputation has suffered irreparable damage locally, and it is no surprise that residents are fighting back.
“It will be good to welcome the Pubs Minister to this site on Tuesday, so that he can see for himself the growing threat that faces pubs across South London. In the meantime, I will continue to call on LiDL’s management to see some sense and sell this site to new owners that see the value in retaining a much-loved community asset.”