William Wragg raised the issue of saving local pubs in the House of Commons, and has invited the Government’s Pubs Minister to come to Marple Bridge for a celebratory pint if the Northumberland Arms successfully re-opens as a community owned pub.
William Wragg, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for the Hazel Grove constituency used his final question in the House of Commons, before the break up of Parliament for the election, to highlight the support Government is giving to save local pubs from closure.
Under the Conservative Government’s initiatives to protect and support local pubs, so far 2,000 pubs across the country have been listed as assets of community value. That listing provides communities with the time to bid for a pub if it comes on to the market. The Northumberland Arms in Marple Bridge is one such pub which is being given a second chance to be saved from closure through the scheme.
The Northumberland Arms in Marple Bridge, a Robinson’s pub, closed for business in January 2017. Speaking up to save the pub in Parliament William Wragg asked the Government to “lend every possible support” to the efforts of local community to buy the pub from the Landlords Robinsons and create a community owned pub in the heart of Marple Bridge. William also asked the Government Pubs Minister, Andrew Percy, to consider visiting the constituency and joining us for a celebratory pint when it reopens.
Responding to William’s question, the Minister said the Government supported the community right to bid scheme, and that in addition the Conservatives are supporting the process further, with £3.6 million, through the “More than a pub” programme. The Minister was also quick to seize on William’s offer of what could become a very expensive round of drinks, saying that if the community are successful in re-opening the Northumberland Arms, he would “bring his whole ministerial team for a drink - so long as William is buying the pints, of course!”.
To find out more about the campaign to save the Northumberland Arms in Marple Bridge, please visit www.thenorthumberlandarms.co.uk, or register your interest by emailing info@thenorthumberlandarms.co.uk with your details, or visit the Facebook Page.
Hansard Record of William Wragg – Oral Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
12:00 am, 24th April 2017
William Wragg Conservative, Hazel Grove
What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) the community right to bid scheme and (b) other Government initiatives to protect and support local pubs.
Andrew Percy, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
So far, 2,000 pubs have been listed as assets of community value. That listing provides communities with the time to bid for a pub if it comes on to the market. We are supporting the process further, with £3.6 million, through the “More than a pub” programme.
William Wragg Conservative, Hazel Grove
The Northumberland Arms in Marple Bridge is a much-loved local pub, and members of the local community hope to reopen it using the community right-to-bid scheme. Will my hon. Friend the Minister lend every possible support to their effort and consider joining us for a celebratory pint when it reopens? Indeed, we could make it a double celebration, should the good people of Marple Bridge see fit to return me to the House.
Andrew Percy, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
It is unthinkable that the people of Hazel Grove will not return my hon. Friend to the House, given his work on their behalf these past two and a bit years. I would be delighted to join him, with the whole ministerial team, to celebrate the community pub he mentions—so long as he is buying the pints, of course.