Help us list the Saracens Head pub as an Asset of Community Value

Hi, we’re Ian and Briony, local residents in Deal, and we live less than 100m from the Saracens Head pub.

Too many of our local pubs are being lost these days – almost two a day, according to the latest figures. Often, a downturn in trade, soaring energy prices, and a shortfall in experienced hospitality staff are reasons cited, but there is a big difference between a pub run as a free house, and a pub run under a tied tenancy (as the Saracens Head was).

Under a tied tenancy, tenants are contractually obliged to buy all their drink from the landlord, usually a brewery. You may think that the brewery give their tenant a special discounted rate? Wrong. In fact, the tenant has to buy the drink at way above market rate. This, in turn, means profit margins usually don’t stack up, and the pub is deemed ‘unprofitable’.

Just because a pub doesn’t work as a tied tenancy, does not mean the pub is a non-viable business, and would not flourish as a free house. The Saracens Head is a smart, Georgian building, on a historic square in a Conservation Area in Deal. It is at the end of an award-winning High Street, full of thriving small businesses. Alfred Square itself is so important, it is home to 14 listed properties. That's 3/4 of the buildings. Even the phone box is Grade II listed! As a community, we need to protect our assets from property developers, and make sure we continue that legacy!

So, what can we do?

Under the Localism Act 2011, communities in England can ask their local council to register valued local facilities, like pubs, as Assets of Community Value (ACV). If the Council accepts the nomination, then, should the pub be put up for sale, a local group can require a stopping of the clock for up to six months to enable a bid to be compiled to buy the pub.

Furthermore, did you know that the Saracens Head was previously listed as an Asset of Community Value? Back in 2016, a campaign was successful in listing the pub, however the ACV status only lasts 5 years and has since expired. We need to re-apply!

In order to apply, we need 21 people to support this. Once we have that, we can approach Dover District Council and state our case. By showing your support, you are not committing in any financial or personal way, you are merely saying 'hey, we want this to remain as a pub'.

Please click the button to sign our petition, and follow us on Instagram or sign up to our emails for further updates.

Thanks! Ian and Briony.

 

Further reading:

Article on the Asset of Community Value listing in 2016​

Historic photos of the Saracens pub

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