Property Law

Residents determined to buy last remaining village pub

21-Feb-2018 By Georgina Townshend

A community group in Cheshire is committed to purchase the last remaining pub in the village but needs to raise a minimum of £250,000 to do it.

Plan to replace popular Somerset pub with petrol station labelled 'heritage vandalism'

20-Feb-2018 By Georgina Townshend

An application to demolish a former asset of community value (ACV) Hungry Horse pub with a 24-hour petrol station, beauty salon and offices has been met with fierce opposition from locals, who claim the development would "destroy the very character...

Market values: what valuers assess when putting a pub on sale

12-Feb-2018 By Stuart Stone

What does an agent look for when they’re valuing a pub for sale and what can you do to make sure your property is priced fairly?

Regional focus on...East Anglia

09-Feb-2018 By Stuart Stone

Our regional focus on East Anglia takes a look at the best pubs available in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire

Under the hammer: getting a good deal at property auctions

05-Feb-2018 By Stuart Stone

It’s both a gift and a curse that buying at auction isn’t as easy as sneezing or waving at the wrong moment during the bidding process. Here is some advice on how to navigate a pub property auction

Regional focus on...Cambridgeshire

30-Jan-2018 By Stuart Stone

Opportunities in Cambridgeshire stretch far beyond the university town at the county's heart.

The Sun inn reopens after £150,000 upgrade

30-Jan-2018 By Stuart Stone

The 15th century coaching inn on the Essex-Suffolk border, the Sun, Dedham, reopened on 25 January after a month-long refurbishment programme.

Residents blast planning application that could 'protect pub's future'

26-Jan-2018 By Georgina Townshend

A property developer that has submitted a planning application to build five homes in a pub's beer garden say it will "help protect the future of the pub" but nearby residents aren't so convinced.

How can licensees tackle high rent?

24-Jan-2018 By Stuart Stone

The Morning Advertiser sought advice from Slater and Gordon lawyers on where licensees stood when it came to challenging high rent.

Regional focus on...the south-west

23-Jan-2018 By Stuart Stone

Our regional focus on the south-west takes a look at the best pubs available in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire

Property specialist upbeat about pub trade for 2018

19-Jan-2018 By Stuart Stone

Adviser for buying and selling businesses in the hotel, pub, restaurant sectors Christie & Co launched its annual Business Outlook report with a positive attitude towards the year ahead and embracing change.

Second-hand car salesman loses appeal to live in closed-down pub

18-Jan-2018 By Georgina Townshend

A second-hand car salesman who was living in a closed-down Oxfordshire pub without the relevant permissions has lost his appeal to remain there.

Top gastropub the Butchers Arms sold by Christie & Co

16-Jan-2018 By Stuart Stone

The 16th-century gastropub, ranked eighth in The Morning Advertiser’s Top 50 Gastropub list in 2017, has been sold off a guide price of £750,000.

Collate the evidence: what information do you need to negotiate a new rent deal?

15-Jan-2018 By Stuart Stone

When your rent comes up for review, what information do you need to negotiate a new deal and what is most important in making the case for a more competitive rent? Here, we also take a look at what you need to do when considering a rent deal for a new...

Fleurets’ survey of pub prices reveals market resilience

11-Jan-2018 By Stuart Stone

Leisure property specialists Fleurets released their annual Pub Prices Report on 10 January with the quality of transactions rather than quantity keeping the market in good health.

Staffordshire pub to become community owned after £200,000 campaign

08-Jan-2018 By Stuart Stone

A pub in the Staffordshire Moorlands is set to become community owned following a 16-month campaign by locals to save it.

Alive & kicking: New agreements are driving the tenanted and leased pub market

03-Jan-2018 By Michelle Perrett

Much has been said and written about the implications of reform of the tenanted and leased pubs market. But, to misquote Mark Twain, reports about the demise of the sector appear to have been greatly exaggerated

Council's U-turn as demolition of pub did need planning permission

02-Jan-2018 By Georgina Townshend

Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) has apologised and said "lessons have been learnt" after it became "confused" as to whether planning permission was required for the demolition of a pub in Leatherhead - which campaigners described...

Site of pub torn down without permission faced with fires, flytipping and unauthorised travellers

20-Dec-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Since the unauthorised demolition of a pub in Leatherhead, Surrey, the site has fallen victim to multiple piles of burning waste, flytipping and occupation by unauthorised travellers.

Former Young’s general manager takes over Surrey pub

20-Dec-2017 By Stuart Stone

Bradley Marchant and his wife Charlotte have been assigned the free-of-tie leasehold of the Abinger Hatch pub near Dorking.

Pub properties: On the market December 2017

18-Dec-2017 By MA Editorial

Property on the market this December includes pubs in Surrey and Norfolk.

'The pub is lost, the battle is not': Campaigners' outcry after pub torn down 'without permission'

05-Dec-2017 By Georgina Townshend

A petition had been started to save a pub in Leatherhead, Surrey, but campaigners have been left outraged after it has now been torn down without planning permission.

Shropshire pub launches formal share offer

04-Dec-2017 By Stuart Stone

The White Lion Pub in Ash Magna, Shropshire, launched a formal share offer at a public meeting on 30 November in the hope of keeping the 250-year-old site open.

Tenant and lessee rights: What are the options if you just can’t agree?

01-Dec-2017 By Michelle Perrett

The rent review or lease renewal is a difficult time for any licensee. But what are the options if you just can’t agree the rent or you feel that the pubco is acting unfairly?

Heineken urged to end Falcon contracts

30-Nov-2017 By Claire Churchard

Campaigners have called on Heineken to end the use of Falcon contracts, which the company will be taking on as part of its deal to buy 1,900 Punch pubs.

Pub properties: done deals and on the market November 2017

29-Nov-2017 By MA Editorial

November's property done deals include pubs in Rutland and Hampshire. Pubs on the market are in East Yorkshire and Northamptonshire.

London Mayor promotes planning safeguards for pubs

27-Nov-2017 By Claire Churchard

Extra support for the dwindling number of pubs in the capital will be included in the draft London Plan due to be published by Mayor Sadiq Khan this week.

Admiral Taverns reopens Essex pub after £100k refurbishment

24-Nov-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Admiral Taverns will be reopening a family run pub in Essex following a £100,000 investment.

Railway pubs: on the right side of the tracks

22-Nov-2017 By Claire Churchard

Station pubs are changing. Network Rail is encouraging operators to develop destination pubs that draw people in. We look at what this evolution means for publicans thinking about opening up next to the tracks.

Don't panic - industry reaction to interest rate increase

20-Nov-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Concern may have been expressed in the trade about this month’s rise in interest rates, but while licensees would be advised to check their finances, the consensus is there should be little in the move to worry publicans

13th-century pub reopens in Potters Bar after £250,000 refurb

10-Nov-2017 By Claire Churchard

Redcomb Pubs has reopened the Old Manor in Potters Bar after a major £250,000 renovation and refurbishment.

Durham pub reopens after £100,000 refurbishment by Admiral Taverns

09-Nov-2017 By Claire Churchard

The Brawns Den in County Durham is due to reopen this week (5pm, 10 November) following a £100,000 investment and refurbishment by Admiral Taverns.

State of affairs: The cost of dilapidation

06-Nov-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Licensees need to be aware of the potentially huge costs of dilapidations but, if maintenance and upkeep of a site is taken care of regularly, there should be little reason to be overly concerned

Shropshire village pledges £90,000 to save 250-year-old pub

03-Nov-2017 By Stuart Stone

Residents from the Ash Villages area near Whitchurch, north Shropshire, are hoping to buy the White Lion pub to keep it from closing its doors.

What does the interest rates rise mean for pubs?

02-Nov-2017 By Stuart Stone

For the first time since July 2007 the government has increased interest rates. Here’s how the decision could affect the average British pub.

Stonegate invests £250,000 to revamp Cheshire Cheese pub

26-Oct-2017 By Fred A'Court

A £250,000 refurbishment has given the Cheshire Cheese near Tower Hill in London a new lease of life, with updated decor, new fittings and the latest technology for screening sports TV while rich wood furniture surroundings and mirrors retain the traditional...

Deputy pubs code adjudicator appointed by the Government

24-Oct-2017 By Fred A'Court

Barrister Fiona Dickie has been appointed deputy pubs code adjudicator (DPCA) to support Paul Newby in enforcing the pubs code.

Closed Bridgwater pub reborn after £200,000 investment

24-Oct-2017 By Fred A'Court

A once defunct pub is set to open as a bar and restaurant after a long-term makeover.

Eight London pubs for sale in £70m portfolio

24-Oct-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

A glut of London pubs in desirable areas of the city have been placed on the market as part of a portfolio worth £69.5m.

‘Bitten off more than they can chew,’ warns landlady of liquidated pub

23-Oct-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

The former landlady of a Bristol pub that was forced to close after its parent company went into liquidation has warned that any attempt to redevelop the site will not be tolerated.

£1.5m Alchemist site to open in Oxford

23-Oct-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Bar and restaurant group The Alchemist has pumped £1.5m into the opening of a new shopping centre bar in Oxford, creating 75 new jobs.

Property: Average free of tie leases up as much as 22%

23-Oct-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Rising rents, signs the London market has reached a tipping point, and the effects of Brexit, the national living wage and the new rating system are all covered in Fleurets’ annual rental survey.

Future of ACV pub unknown after mysterious closure

23-Oct-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Bristol pub, the Three Crowns in St George, has mysteriously shut up shop after almost 190 years of trading, despite community support to keep it open.

York pub earmarked for demolition gets ACV reprieve

13-Oct-2017 By Helen Gilbert

A Yorkshire pub that looked set to be demolished and replaced with a luxury care home could be saved after an anonymous bidder expressed an interest in buying the premises.

Property advice: Give lease a chance

09-Oct-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Lease renewals are a vital part of a publican’s business development, but procedures under the Landlord and Tenant Act are fraught with potential problems and shouldn’t be embarked on without the benefit of professional advice.

Spotlight: When is MRO not MRO?

09-Oct-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Controversy has stalked the pubs code at every stage. But one of the most confusing elements is licensees’ access to the market-rent-only (MRO) option. Here, we look at how this part of the legislation is progressing, or not, in some cases.

Pub properties: done deals and on the market

06-Oct-2017 By MA Editorial

The month's property done deals include pubs in West Sussex and Windsor. Pubs on the market are in Worcestershire and Essex.

Former Ei pub could be replaced by 33 homes

05-Oct-2017 By Helen Gilbert

A former Enterprise Inns pub could be demolished and replaced by housing if planning permission is granted next week.

Which is best, a tenancy or a lease?

29-Sep-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Your knowledge of the pub business and how much money you have to spend are key factors in deciding whether you come into the trade on a tenancy, lease or a freehold. It is crucial to get it right first time

Pub refurbishments: Five of the best

20-Sep-2017 By Michelle Perrett

The Morning Advertiser shows you five of the best refurbishments which have hit £3M in overall investment.