A popular Norwich venue has been given a new status to help secure its continued use as a pub.

The building, which previously housed The Owl Sanctuary, has been listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).

It comes following the closure of the pub on Cattle Market Street last month, after staff were told the building had been bought. The Owl Sanctuary has now moved to a new location on Timber Hill in the city centre.

A spokesman for Norwich City Council confirmed that, following a nomination from the Norwich branch of Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), the building has been successfully listed as an ACV and added to a statutory register.

The status means that the owner needs to notify the council if they want to sell the property and will give opportunities for community groups to bid for it.

It also restricts certain changes of use that would otherwise be permitted development, such as the change of use from a pub to a shop. In most cases it also restricts demolition of the premises without planning permission.

These particular premises however would require planning permission for demolition anyway, due to its location in a conservation area.

Neil Bowers, pubs protection officer for the Norwich branch of Camra, said 'We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone – 2,500 people – who submitted an application for the pub to be listed. This took everyone within the branch by surprise and it was, and still remains, an unprecedented number.'

There has been a pub on this site since 1845.