SHOPPING habits are changing; small is now beautiful and supermarket giants are busy buying failing pubs to convert them into convenience stores.

In principle there is nothing wrong with change of use in business, but pubs have always been more than just somewhere to pop in for a pint. They are often the community hub and when it’s gone where do people meet?

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has been fighting back and yesterday, on community pubs day, it a hailed a number of successes.

The organisation says 600 pubs have been listed as assets of community value (ACV); new laws to protect pubs listed as ACV will come into effect on April 6 and of course there was the beer tax cut in the Budget. CAMRA also says the Small Business Bill will give pub company licensees in England and Wales a fairer deal on beer prices and rent.

All of which is great news and we raise a toast to these victories. But there is still one thing we want to see; compulsory planning permission for changing the use of pubs.

Until then the glass will remain half empty.