Punch Taverns licensee outraged over ongoing refurbishment problems

Clive Roberts, licensee of the Anchor Hotel in Burnham, Essex, said that after having his wooden flooring replaced for a second time on 21 January, it has now sunk and is a trip hazard. He also claims that there are issues with that slate flooring that was used in part of the premises, which he claims is chipped.

Roberts was set to have a refurbishment completed by 23 October, however, he still had builders working until the middle of December.

Roberts said that the work was not up to standard, with the flooring left uneven, and windows painted shut.

The extra time the builders were at his pub cost him £1,700, although the con-tractors have reimbursed him for this.

He added: “We’ve lost out on trading, we had workmen in during trading hours, and I’ve incurred extra wage costs, not to mention all the stress.”

A spokeswoman for Punch said: “Punch plans to invest some £45m on its pubs this year and we are absolutely committed to ensuring every investment runs as smoothly as possible and generates a great return for our partners.

“We regret there have been some issues in this isolated instance and continue to work with the partners at the Anchor to rectify some small defects.”