The Chancellor must "step out of the shadows" and support hospitality

Chief medical officer Chris Whitty called for people to scale back Christmas plans after a record 88,376 daily coronavirus cases were recorded yesterday (16 December), while pubs have been allowed to continue trading.

As the public heeds Government advice to refrain from socialising to limit the spread of the virus, pubs have been drastically losing bookings in what has traditionally been their busiest time of the year. 

Losing custom at a rate of knots

Colliers’s head of business rates John Webber said: “It is ironic that on the day the Act of Parliament outlawing rating appeals became law, the Government through its announcements has damaged businesses in cities throughout the country who rely on visitors – this includes not only restaurants, bars and retail but also serviced offices.”

“Although we are not yet in an official lockdown such as we saw at the beginning of the year, we might as well be for the impact the Government’s public health messaging is having on public behaviour.

With calls to work from home as much as possible and to reduce socialising yet again, the hospitality industry is losing custom at a rate of knots, costing billions of pounds; this should surely be accompanied by some sector specific financial support from the Treasury.”

This time last year, businesses in the sector were receiving subsidies via the furlough scheme and a 100% business rates relief on the properties they occupied as well as Government grants.

Only just starting to recover 

Now with the furlough scheme finished and the sector only receiving a capped two thirds discount to their business rates bills, financial support is much vaguer.

Webber added: “The industry was only just starting to recover, and now it’s being hit for six again.

“The Chancellor needs to come out of the shadows and announce some key reliefs and he needs to do it now.”