Beer drinkers have written to Deputy PM calling for a “simple” change to help save being lost.

The says a loophole allows greedy developers to claim pubs are in fact restaurants when asking councils for planning permission to turn them into housing or other uses.

In its letter to Ms Rayner, Camra says “a simple way that English planning laws could be changed to help with the fight against developers and global brewers – who have little interest in keeping pubs open for community benefit – would be to define a pub in planning law.” Doing so would give local authority the power to reject ‘change of use’ applications, and help campaigners trying to save their pub being closed, it says.

Ms Rayner has responsibility as she is also Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Camra’s letter also singles out high praise for the ’s campaign, whose main aims include making it easier for communities to save their at-risk local.

It says: “We are proudly supporting the campaign. Awareness of the issues that pubs are facing, the very real and devastating impact of pub closures on communities, and what the Government must do to help, must be brought to the wider public.” Camra and others want Ms Rayner’s department to relaunch the Community Ownership Fund, which allowed local groups to apply for funding to buy pubs and other assets deemed vital to their area.

Labour has pointed to its Community Right to Buy, which will give communities the first chance to take over assets such as pubs and others, before they go on the market. But Camra argues that, without money to back it up, it “just won’t have the teeth to make a difference.”

Meanwhile, a report has echoed warnings that 9,000 pubs could close this year without government help. The study by Sacha Lord, a night time industries expert, and think tank The Adam Smith Institute, says the hospitality sector faces a £3.4billion tax bill in April due to upcoming changes, including an increase in employers’ national insurance, while operators costs have surged by 30 to 40% in the past year. Mr Lord said: “The pressures on the sector are now at unprecedented levels.”

A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “Pubs play a vital role in our communities, acting often as the beating heart of an area. That is why we have provided £36 million to save community projects across the country, including eight pubs and are introducing new powers to help local people take control of valued community spaces. We will consider the points raised by the Campaign for Real Ale and respond in due course.”

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