Politics · 16 August 2026

England's new pub protection law: What developers must prove now

Angela Rayner, the housing secretary, widened the upcoming rules this week to cover every venue instead of just the final one left in a neighbourhood. Builders must now show a site spent twelve months on the open market before asking local councils to approve a conversion. The Campaign for Real Ale says 794 pubs have already shut their doors this year.

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