Preparing for success
Licensees and industry experts gathered at Shepherd Neame's Blue Anchor pub in Crowborough, East Sussex, to pick up
valuable advice before the smoking ban begins. John Harrington reports from the
MA Plan for the Ban roadshow
With just over 100 days to go before the English smoking ban starts, the heat is really on to make sure everything is set for the big day.
The Blue Anchor in the East Sussex town of Crowborough was the location for the MA's south-east roadshow, where a host of topics were addressed, from enforcement and planning regulations to food opportunities and licensing issues.
The speakers were:
l George Barnes,
property and tenanted
director, Shepherd Neame
l Martin Godden,
retail property manager,
Shepherd Neame
l James Woolford,
chartered surveyor, Shepherd Neame
l Kay Moon,
manager, Blue Anchor
l Edwin Hamilton,
National Quiz
l Tony Holman,
managing director,
Crown Awnings
l Helen Atkinson, Department of Health
l Rob Crouch, senior
environmental health officer, Wealden District Council
l Steve Norton,
licensing officer,
Wealden District Council
Advice was also available from the seven companies which are backing the Plan for the Ban campaign.
The Morning Advertiser picked out 16 key points from the event that licensees should consider as they plan for the ban:
1 Ensure early application
Submit shelter planning applications as soon as possible.
Woolford said it can take 30 weeks to install a shelter, including devising a scheme, obtaining the landlord's consent and planning permission and having a shelter constructed.
"You'll miss winter if you don't act now," he warned.
Councils have eight weeks to respond to an application, but Woolford said about a dozen applications for Sheps pubs were not even acknowledged within this period.
"Chase the council continuously," he advised. "They will receive so many applications that they'll look for a flaw if they need more time."
Failure to obtain listed-building consent could mean an unlimited fine or two years in prison. Sheps expects to have two-thirds of its smoking shelters in place by 1 July.
"Make sure you obtain advertising consent if that is appropriate," said Woolford, adding that illuminated advertising consent may also be required if it is lit.
Holman said pubs may need to check with the Highways Agency if the shelter occupies a road.
2 Choose correct structures
Make sure you pick the right structure for your pub.
Godden advised licensees to decide requirements before spending money, based on whether the structure is geared to a quick smoke or providing shelter for people who want to stay longer and socialise.
Suitability for diners may also have to be considered. Holman said: "You might want to ban smokers [from the structure] if they are a minority, or you want to accommodate non-smokers. Assess what smokers are worth to your business."
3 Find suitable locations
Godden urged hosts to avoid locating shelters too far from the building.
"There's no point in having to traipse 50 yards to reach a garden shed - people just won't do it", he said.
"Take into account the direction from which wind and rain is likely to affect customers - if you need to have 50% of it open, don't place it on a north-facing cliff."
Other areas to consider include busy roads, children's play areas and extractors.
Cigarette machines should be situated near the smoking area, Godden advised.
Holman offered a blunt assessment on the importance of positioning shelters.
"If you get the opportunity to put it at the back, go for that every time," he said.
"Tramps will use it as a urinal if you put it at the front."
4 Check your licence
About 20% of Shepherd Neame's pubs have a clause relating to the outside area on their premises licence. Many say the garden must be vacated early, possibly even by 9.30pm.
"Those at 9.30pm will have to have a variation," said Barnes.
"Discuss this with your
local authority - there's no point in spending a lot on a structure and then telling your customers, 'Sorry, time's up and you can't go outside'."
Barnes highlighted ambiguous restrictions on some Shepherd Neame licences, including: "Patrons are to be discouraged from using the outside areas after 22.00 hours."
5 Reduce smoking areas
"It's important for licensees to look at reducing smoking areas in advance of the ban," said Barnes.
"That has happened in a significant proportion of houses in our estate. It helps to prepare customers for moving outside the pub."
6 Beware of noise
"It's vital to consider neighbours," said Barnes. "Think about the impact it will have on them as well as the pub. You have to consider the terms of the licence."
Norton said: "Undoubtedly we will get more calls [from neighbours]."
7 Freshen the pub
"Redecorating or freshening the pub will help it last longer," said Barnes.
Godden agreed. "Smoking is a good deodoriser - other smells in the atmosphere start to emerge [when there is no smoke]," he warned, adding that pubs may want to consider pumping in fragrances to hide nasty smells.
8 Check all costs
Godden stressed the importance of considering the long-term costs of heating and lighting smoking shelters.
Four heaters have been fitted at the Blue Anchor, each with a 2kw output. If the heaters run for 10 hours at a time, they cost £5.60 a day, taking £2,000 a year off bottom-line profits. Shepherd Neame is looking at fitting time-switches to reduce use.
Godden said staff costs may increase if extra employees are needed to supervise the smoking structure. He also advised pubs to adopt a shelter maintenance régime.
9 Judge space accurately
Holman warned that to comply with Government rules, smoking shelters should be no closer than one metre from the pub's wall, and cover no more than 75% of the entire outside area.
"If you are covering a courtyard, ensure the structure is no more than 2m wide," he said. "It's absolutely crucial that you speak to your local enforcement officer."
10 Get the funding
Holman suggests 15 ways to fund a shelter:
l Factor it into your rent
l Ask for it to be absorbed into your rent
l Set up a loan account with your pubco
l Barter - for example, by agreeing to use beer flow monitoring equipment in exchange for a shelter
l Ask your pubco to pay for a structure for use as a "demo shelter"
l Ask your supplier for an advance on a future discount
l Set up a loan account with your supplier
l Request a discount by agreeing to brand shelters
l Ask for "points" towards a shelter in exchange for regular use of a supplier
l Reach a "golden handshake" agreement with a reliable supplier
l Use your own savings
l Invest your own working capital
l Negotiate a bank loan
l Persuade an external partner to invest
l Lease the structure
11 Increase food carefully
The ban can mean increased food sales. "We see the ban as a big opportunity for pubs," said Brakes' Nick Willis.
"Wet-led pubs face the biggest risk. Where a pub doesn't do food at all, hosts need to incorporate menus that demand limited equipment."
Barnes said: "There's an opportunity to increase food trade, but it needs a sensible approach. Not every pub can make a fortune by becoming a gastropub."
Holman warned that licensees could see taxes rise if they increase their food trade sufficiently to be classed as a restaurant - pubs pay 5.5% VAT, compared to 12% for restaurants.
12 Improve staff conditions
Barnes said a smoke-free atmosphere will mean a better working environment and cou
