One in three pubs have closed since the 1970s as beer campaigners warn of more to come

Source: The Telegraph

Katie Morley

14 SEPTEMBER 2017

Business rates rises will kill Britain’s pubs, beer campaigners have warned, as one in three have closed down since the 1970s. Over the past four and a half decades at least 25,000 pubs have closed according to research by the Campaign for Real Ale, taking the number from 75,000 to 50,000 today.

In a report published today, Camra warns that the sector is facing a “ticking time bomb” over its future.

It said the Government’s controversial new business rates introduced earlier this year could devastate the sector by forcing pubs to accept “eye watering” tax increases.

For example the Baum in Rochdale, Camra’s national Pub of the Year in 2012, will see its rateable value increased by 377 per cent.

The Sandford Park Alehouse in Cheltenham, Pub of the Year in 2015, also faces an increase of 181 per cent. Good Beer Guide editor Roger Protz said: “The British pub is unique, rooted in our island’s history, dating from Roman and Saxon times.

“There is no better place for people to meet, enjoy a beer, strike up a conversation, make new friends and put the world to rights. Above all, the British pub, both ancient and modern, has character and an atmosphere that could never be replaced.”

It comes as official research shows sales of wine and spirits now make up a third of pub takings. Sales of gin are up almost 20 per cent on last year while 16m bottles of sparkling wine worth £768m were sold last year.

Drinks bosses say a 2 per cent cut in alcohol duty would boost the wine and spirits industry to the tune of £2.9bn as well as boosting Treasury revenues by £368m. Now Camra has launched a campaign calling for an annual £5,000 reduction in business rates for every pub across England.

A Government spokesman said: “The Great British pub is a national treasure and we’re backing communities that want to protect and run their local.

“We’ve already provided more than 9,000 small pubs with a £1,000 discount on their businesses rates bill as part of our £435 million package of support for businesses.

“In addition, both pubs and their customers have saved over £2 billion since 2013 thanks to changes to alcohol duty.”