Government puts pubs at the heart of new community‑ownership reforms

Pubs are set to benefit from new government reforms giving communities greater power to save and run the local venues they rely on. Ministers have confirmed that pubs, alongside other valued local assets, will be easier to protect under a £61 million support package designed to help residents take ownership when closure threatens.

The measures form part of a wider £301 million programme aimed at reviving high streets and shifting decision‑making away from Whitehall and into local hands. A new Community Right to Buy Fund will provide upfront financial support for communities—particularly in deprived areas—so they can step in quickly when a pub is put up for sale or at risk of being lost.

Communities Secretary Steve Reed said the reforms are intended to strengthen local pride and safeguard the places that matter most, noting that pubs often serve as the last remaining social hub in many towns and villages.

Under the plans, communities will have improved access to funding, expert advice and legal support to help them purchase and operate pubs as sustainable, community‑run businesses. The government says the changes will prevent the permanent loss of important social spaces and help keep high streets active and welcoming.

The announcement builds on existing support for the pub sector, including business‑rates relief and investment in local regeneration, and forms part of the broader Pride in Place programme to boost community‑owned assets across the country.