Otley pubs win protection after achieving Assets of Community Value status

Otley, a small market town just outside of Leeds, has been successful in a bid to have all if its 19 pubs listed as Assets of Community Value.

The town, which is known for its many pubs, is the first town in the entire country to have succeeded in a multiple application to have its pubs obtain ACV status, meaning the venues are now protected against change of use for deliberate sale for alternative use such as a supermarket.

Otley Pub Club, a voluntary community organisation which exists to support and promote the town’s pubs, made the application to Leeds City Council.

The club is an organisation created by local pub supporters and local publicans. It is a forum for the Otley community to support their local pubs and enjoy the wide selection of real ales and for publicans to communicate with each other and their customers.

The club campaigns on behalf of pubs where needed and organises social events, runs a website and publishes a monthly newsletter and the successful Ale Trail leaflet. It has had success in the past in getting several of the town’s pubs reopened after closure and in encouraging investment in existing pubs.

Andy Fitzgerald, the club’s chairman, said: “This is great news for the pubs and the town and I am delighted that Otley has become the first place in the country to have all its pubs listed as Assets of Community Value and very proud that Otley Pub Club has archived this.

“Otley is well known as a famous pub town and this will boost that reputation further still and I hope will lead to even more people coming into Otley to enjoy the town’s pubs and history.”

Greg Mulholland, the clubs’ president, added: “Now that all Otley’s pubs are officially listed as Assets of Community Value, it is clear to everyone that all of them are valued and now have some protection against change of use of deliberate sale for alternative use. This is good news for Otley and a real boost for the ACV initiative and I hope we will see many more whole town listings in the next few months”.

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