James Murray, MP for Ealing North, secured an adjournment debate in the House of Commons on Friday, December 2, on the community campaign to protect the Black Horse pub in Greenford, in the heart of his constituency.

The community campaign began after James launched a petition in June 2021 and called a public meeting in March 2022, amid rumours that the pub would be sold off and turned into flats.

The Black Horse was successfully listed as an 'asset of community' value by Ealing Council in August 2022. The 'asset of community value' application was submitted by James on behalf of the 'Protect the Black Horse' community group, which was established at the March 2022 public meeting.

James invited its management committee to watch the debate from the House of Commons public gallery.

During the debate, James said: "Over the last year-and-a-half, local people in Greenford have made their view clear that they want to protect the Black Horse pub from being sold off and turned into flats.

"The comments and actions of the pub's owners have given us cause for concern, and so I am very grateful to Sarita, Brian, Sindy, Mel, and James – my fellow members of the 'Protect the Black Horse' committee – for their help in applying to Ealing Council to get the pub listed as an asset of community value.

"We are very glad to have been successful in getting the Black Horse listed, but our experience has exposed some of the difficulties others may face in making a similar application.

"We are also aware of the limits to the protection such a listing offers, and so we would urge the Government to help give us and people across the country greater control over what happens to pubs and other important places in our local communities."

NOTES: More background on the campaign is available at: www.jamesmurray.org/blackhorse

The debate was on Friday, December 2, at 2:30pm in the House of Commons, and lasted eighteen minutes. A transcript of the debate is available at: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-12- 02/debates/66C32435-A2E0-4403-A34D-93305DCDA395/AssetsOfCommunityValueBlackHorsePub

A video of the debate is available at: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/de6c0068-fc0f-4086- 9b70-ab12ffe527b2?in=14:32:52