Yes, one reason that pubs are closing, especially in rural areas, but some in towns as well, is that most pubs are now owned by large chains (not just breweries, but 'pubcos' that just operate pub chains). These businesses will close a profitable pub just becasue it doesn't meet their demanding profit targets, e.g. they might set a target of (say) 25% and if the pub only makes (say) 15% profit, that's enough reason for them to close it.

The fact that the pub is at the heart of a village community doesn't matter to them - it's only the bottom line that matters to them.

McGrath asked: Do local objections carry any legal weight? I mean, does it actually require planning permission for the owners to close a pub and use it as a house, or sell it as a house? I'm thinking of a couple of pubs I know where that's happened, and I don't seem to remember any planning permission notices stuck up outside, nor any adverts in the local paper inviting people to say if they had objections to the change.

I think there are certain rules about change of use, etc., that come into play, but basically if the owners want to close a pub there are ways round it (make it difficult for the tenant to make a profit, make the pub unattractive to customers, decline it trade, no longer a viable business).

But there have been successful campaigns where the villagers have banded together and organised protests against the closure of their only pub, resulting in the village pub being taken over by the villagers. I know one pub in my area that was saved in this way (the villagers invested in the pub, employed a manager, and it's now very successful and regularly won CAMRA awards, etc.)

I believe CAMRA can provide advice on how to campaign against a local pub's closure, if anyone finds themselves in the unfortunate position of being about to lose their only local pub.