Pub-to-housing conversions to be restricted under new rules

By Oliver Catchpole

Published: 17 August, 2026

Pubs at risk of closure for conversion to another use are set to receive protections under new planning regulations in England, which come into force today (Monday 17 August).

As reported by the BBC, the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will force developers to prove that there is no reasonable prospect of the pub continuing to operate.

This will include proof that it has been on the market for a year at least.

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A previous consultation on the plans under Keir Starmer gave these protections only to the final remaining pub in an area.

Reportedly, the new rules will stop owners from killing trade deliberately so that they can close down their pub.

The update to the NPPF has been met with scepticism from some in the hospitality industry, with UK Hospitality chief executive Allen Simpson saying that: “The biggest issue facing hospitality businesses is costs like VAT and business rates.

“You can legislate to stop a pub being sold as a flat but what you can't do is legislate to force them to stay open if they're not viable.”

Rising taxes and other costs have been the focus of campaigns by his organisation, among others, to try to reduce the burden on pubs and other hospitality venues.

Harpers has previously reported on a 20% rates cut for pubs, clubs and music venues, announced by the Prime Minister last month.

While these cuts – which come into force in 2027 – were welcomed by many, they were also criticised for their narrow scope, with restaurants and hotels excluded.

This has been a consistent theme of both the current and prior administration’s hospitality policies, with the industry often publicly asking for reliefs to be extended.

Commenting on the changes to the NPPF, Angela Rayner, the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, said: “Pubs are part of who we are as a nation.

“They’re where we celebrate, grieve, argue and belong, the beating heart of so many of our communities, and it’s an outrage that weak protections have allowed too many of them to slip away without a fight.”

Planning frameworks in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are devolved, so the NPPF applies only to government planning policy (and how it should be implemented by local authorities), in England.

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