The new members include a barrister, a magistrate, an arbitrator, a retired brewery estates director, a licensed trade accountant, current and former pub tenants – one of whom has personally instigated a PICA-Service hearing – pub freeholders, an HR consultant, an operations manager from a family brewery and a dispute resolution consultant.
They join the existing 20 panel members, increasing the number of panellists to 33 individuals.
'Balanced'
The Pub Governing Body, which is responsible for PICA-Service, looked to recruit new members due to ever-increasing case loads, panel members having to sit at various hearings and the requirement to provide ‘balanced’ panels of five or six individuals with diverse skills and expertise.
The body said more applicants than are currently needed came forward, so there is a waiting list of individuals willing to become involved in the service in the future.
Training
The 13 successful applicants had formal training at Fuller’s pub the Counting House, central London, where they were inducted into PICAS procedures, services and objectives, and involved in mock hearings to ensure they will be able to deliver fair, consistent and clear decisions.
Bernard Brindley, chairman of the Pub Governing Body, said: “It was an excellent session attended by enthusiastic, committed people who between them have in-depth knowledge of all facets of the industry and, most importantly, are keen to support the trade going forward.”
He added: “The future, in terms of justice for tied tenants with complaints under their landlord Companies’ Codes of Practice, has never been better.”
The PICA-Service was set up in early 2012 as part of the self-regulation deal between the Government and the industry to rule over code-of-practice disputes between lessees/tenants and pubcos.
The 13 new panel members are:
- Bruce Benyon – Pubco representative
- David Wrightson – Arbitrator
- Duncan Craig – Barrister
- John Rackham – Licensee representative
- Lynne Griffin - Licensee representative
- Matthew Evans
- Paul Wigham – Licensee representative
- Peter Mozelewski - Pub consultant
- Peter Raynsford - Magistrate and pubco representative
- Peter Langard
- Ray Parker
- Russell Stone – Licensee representative
- Tobias Brett – Pubco representative
The 20 existing panel members are:
- Alistair Arkley – Pubco representative
- Andrew Thompson – Pubco representative
- Anita Law – Licensee representative
- Chris Lewis – Licensee representative
- David Jones – Pub trade accountant
- Dennis Griffiths – Licensee representative
- Elaine Brown - Surveyor
- Gerry Cleary – Pubco representative
- James Anderson – Solicitor
- Lisa Sharkey – Solicitor
- Matt Kearsey – Pubco representative
- Paul Howarth – Pubco representative
- Paul Waterson – Licensee representative
- Peter Edgar – Hospitality trainer
- Phil Strong – Pubco representative
- Rodger Vickers – Surveyor
- Shaun Rennison – Trade association
- Tom Henry – Solicitor
- Tony Lyons – Solicitor
- Trevor Barber - Judge