How do we make sure that places we use as hubs for social interaction within our communities are not lost to development?

One way is to ask the local authority to designate them as assets of community value (ACV).

Over the past ten years, the Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum has sought, for example, to prevent pubs from losing spaces in which community events take place. Camden granted ACV status to quite a few pubs, although most have now expired. The Forum has been looking at the best ways to do this in the future.

The Covid pandemic showed just how much social interaction matters. As more of us work at home and conduct our lives on screens, there is a risk of disconnection from other people, of loneliness and even mental distress. It’s especially important for older people to be socially engaged.

So it’s vital that neighbourhoods keep the places where people can meet.

In Hampstead, we are lucky to have an extremely busy community centre, as well as churches, schools and venues for music, theatre and art. We have plenty of pubs, and a wealth of cafés.

Alexander Nicoll says that ACS status can ensure there are places for social groups to meetAlexander Nicoll says that ACV status can ensure there are places for social groups to meet (Image: A Nicoll) But we have to make sure that there are still places where social groups and community bodies can get together at an affordable cost.

Camden awards ACV status to properties or land of which the use ‘furthers the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community’. Camden’s planning policy team are very helpful to applicants. Rightly, they demand convincing evidence of value to the community.

Experience has shown that value can most effectively be demonstrated by ‘friends-of’ groups that mobilise support for particular venues and build the case. This has recently been successfully done for the Old White Bear and Magdala pubs – and for somewhere with a different kind of value, the World Peace Garden near Hampstead Heath station.

What does it achieve? It must be said that ACV status provides only limited protection – essentially, putting a brake on development plans via a six-month moratorium and giving the community the right to bid for the asset. It also affords protection in the planning process because change of use becomes harder for developers. At the very least, the expression of strong community support gives developers pause for thought.

For advice on nominating or supporting a community asset, email info@hampsteadforum.org