Assets of Community Value - Survey

There is currently great concern regarding the impact that Covid-19 will have on our pubs. Covid-19 and the ensuing lockdown measures have had a drastic impact on the hospitality sector and in particular, pubs. The heritage and character of the Chilterns is being lost as pub companies can make much greater profits by converting pubs into houses. It is likely that this process will now accelerate and that local authorities will see a significant increase in planning applications seeking to convert pubs to residential use.

Chalfont St Giles recently experienced the loss of Milton’s Head by fire. The pub was not replaced but instead the site was converted into flats. At the time, many residents of the village signed a petition to retain the site as a public house so the Parish Council are aware that there is strong feeling regarding this issue.

In order to allow communities to influence this process, pubs can be listed as “Assets of Community Value” (ACV). An ACV delays the sale of a pub by 6 months to allow time for the local community to act. Experience has also shown that if a pub is earmarked in this way, it can act as a deterrent to a developer intending to buy the pub and convert it for residential use.

The Parish Council have identified the five public houses in the Parish as possible candidates for ACV. These are:
Merlin’s Cave, The Green
The Feathers, High Street
The Fox and Hounds, Silver Hill
White Hart, Three Households
The Ivy House, London Road

The Parish Council would like to know whether you want these pubs to be registered as Assets of Community Value? How do you use these pubs; to drink, to eat, to socialise, to play games (darts etc). Does a group you belong to meet at the pub or use it after a game/event?

Please complete the following survey, it should not take more than 5 minutes to complete. The survey will be open until Monday 1 November.

Complete the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/M6XMWGF