Government needs to wake up to pub plight

We’re only too aware of the challenges out there and the casualties that follow, but the PwC research will hopefully make sobering reading for the new Government, which so far is not signalling much hope to many across the sector.

The research study by the accountancy firm illustrates just how quickly high streets and town centres are changing and it’s something the Government would be better off addressing, rather than focusing on ridiculous outdoor smoking bans.

The PwC report focuses on three core outlets that are closing rapidly, banks, pharmacies and pubs. The point the report makes is that these are often the cornerstone services that get people out into the high street.

As these businesses close, the vibrancy of any area starts to fall away, people stop going out into high streets and whole communities can wither.

Pubs are a vital part of that economy, bringing in visitors from near and far and helping to drive footfall to other businesses as a result. 

According to the PwC research, the one bright spot in its study was retail parks, where chains opening more space for the second year in the row, however, yet again that will see footfall further diverted from town centres and high streets.

Sit up and pay attention

We need the new Government to sit up and recognise the important role that pubs and the broader hospitality sector plays in the UK’s economy - we’ve talked many times about how hospitality can be a key driver in any regeneration initiative, and it’s something that needs to be recognised.

We need the authorities to focus on some of the real issues hampering the hospitality sector and free the shackles to allow pubs and bars to be the supercharger to surge the economy forward.

And that’s not even considering the role these businesses play within the social fabric of the communities they serve.

We’re hosting the Great British Pub Awards next week, and throughout the judging process, we’ve seen businesses that have, against the odds, brought services and initiatives that have held areas together, brought people together and provided vital lifelines for many.

We focus on the economic boosts pubs can bring, and rightly so, but the Government also needs to look at the social and societal benefits that pubs like our finalists bring.

Rather than alienating the sector with further restrictions, let’s see some sensible changes that free these wonderful businesses to thrive and flourish, to the benefit of all.