A campaign to save the Leicester Arms in Challney has become the focus of a political row after Labour MP Sarah Owen urged Luton’s Liberal Democrat-led council to protect the pub, only for the authority’s political leadership to accuse Labour of raising hopes despite the building already having been sold.
More than 800 people have signed a petition calling for the Leicester Arms to remain a pub but it closed on October 17, with the Friends of the Leicester Arms also applying to Luton Council to have it designated an Asset of Community Value.
The campaign has attracted the backing of Ms Owen and Labour councillor Basit Mahmood (Challney ward), who appeared together in a video outside the closed pub calling for the community to be given an opportunity to secure its future.
But the Liberal Democrats have responded by claiming the property has already been sold and the new owner has taken possession, accusing Labour of political point-scoring and failing to be upfront with residents about the situation.
In her Facebook post, Ms Owen said: “The Leicester Arms in Challney is a community asset – but the owners are selling. The Lib Dem council must protect community spaces valued by local residents like the Leicester Arms and work with local people to make sure these spaces aren’t lost.”
In the accompanying video, she said: “We would have loved to have been inside the pub, having a drink, instead of being cold outside.”
Councillor Mahmood said: “Unfortunately, the owners have decided to sell up, and I know that’s incredibly disappointing to so many of our residents, not just in Challney ward, but across Luton, because it’s more than just a pub. It’s where friendships are formed. It’s where people have incredibly fond memories.”
Ms Owen said: “We’ve heard from residents, across Luton, not just around Challney, that have said that this is a really important community asset for them. And that’s why we’ve backed their campaign to the council.”
Councillor Mahmood said: “Hundreds of residents have signed that petition. The aim is to put in place six month moratorium, and I’ll be doing everything I can and I’m sure Sarah and others, to raise the funds so the community can keep this open as the pub once more.”
Ms Owen warned the council against allowing the opportunity to protect the pub to pass.
She said: “If the Lib Dem leaders of the council allow this community asset transfer to slip through their fingers and miss the opportunity to be able to capture a real community asset, then I know that residents across Luton will be bitterly disappointed.”
However, the Liberal Democrats hit back in a statement posted on Facebook, accusing Labour of using the campaign for political purposes.
Their statement said: “We are aware of a video circulating on social media featuring a Labour MP and a Labour councillor, claiming to champion the campaign to save the Leicester Arms, while also making references to the Liberal Democrat-led council.
“Let’s be clear. The Leicester Arms has already been sold, and the new owner has taken possession of the property.
“It is deeply disappointing to see Labour playing politics with an issue that means so much to local people, raising hopes without being upfront about the current situation.”
The Liberal Democrats also questioned Labour’s record on protecting historic buildings, referring to the Warden Tavern, which they said could potentially be demolished and replaced with six houses.
The statement continued: “We must also ask where this same Labour MP and the former Labour administration were when the historic Warden Tavern needed saving.
“Sadly, that much-loved building could potentially be demolished and replaced with six houses. Another piece of Luton’s character and history at risk of being lost.
“You cannot claim to champion Luton’s heritage while ignoring the buildings that have been lost under your own watch.”
The party said it would “do everything within the Council’s powers to protect Luton’s remaining historic buildings and landmarks”, adding: “Luton deserves genuine action to protect its heritage, not political videos and empty promises.”
The dispute comes as the Friends of the Leicester Arms campaign seeks to have the pub recognised as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act 2011.
The petition calls on the pub’s owners to “pause and reconsider the sale”, listen to the community “before making an irreversible decision” and explore alternatives to closure. It also asks that, if a sale goes ahead, every reasonable effort is made to sell the Leicester Arms as a going concern so it can remain a pub.
The petition describes the pub as a place that welcomed people from babies to customers in their 80s and 90s, and says it provided an important source of social contact for older residents. It also highlights family activities, community events and fundraising for people experiencing homelessness.
An Asset of Community Value listing can give eligible community groups time to prepare a bid if a property is put up for sale. Under the current arrangements, this can mean a moratorium of up to six months.
However, the scheme does not give a community group an automatic right to buy a property, nor does it compel an owner to sell to them. It is intended to provide time to organise a bid when a listed asset is being sold.
It is understood that the council is now assessing the the Friends of the Leicester Arms’ application against the legal criteria.
The campaign comes against a backdrop of continued pressure on the pub industry, with new figures showing that almost 300 pubs have already closed permanently across Britain this year.
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) reported that 295 pubs had shut between January and the end of September 2026, including 226 in England, 64 in Scotland and five in Wales.
The South East was the worst-affected English region, with 42 pubs closing, while the BBPA forecasts that around 360 will have shut by the end of the year – equivalent to approximately one every day.
The closures are expected to result in around 5,000 job losses, with more than half of those roles having been filled by people under the age of 25.
The latest figures follow a net loss of 336 pubs across the UK during 2025, when the total number fell to 43,656.
There has, however, been some further government support announced for the sector.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed in July that pubs, social clubs and live music venues would receive additional help with their business rates, with the Autumn Budget subsequently confirming that eligible pubs and social clubs in England will receive a 35 per cent reduction from April 2027.
That represents an increase from the existing 15 per cent relief available during the current financial year, with the government also protecting bills from above-inflation increases for the following two years.
The government estimates the additional support will benefit around 32,000 venues, with a typical pub expected to save approximately £1,100 in the next financial year.
Whether those measures will arrive soon enough to help individual pubs facing closure remains another question.
For supporters of the Leicester Arms, the immediate concern is keeping their local pub from becoming another unwanted statistic.
The petition concludes: “A brewery may own the building — but the community makes it a pub. Once a community pub is lost, it may never return.”
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