One in 10 pubs will stay closed when lockdown lifts on July 4 and may never reopen as landlords struggle to meet extra costs of policing social distancing rules
- Small pubs may never reopen because of costs of maintaining social distancing
- Reduced capacity, extra staff and PPE means they won’t make enough profits
- As many as one in ten landlords could be forced to permanently shut their pubs
Thousands of pubs may never reopen despite lockdown restrictions being eased on July 4.
One in ten landlords say that social distancing measures – even reduced to a metre – would mean a cut in capacity and profits.
This could lead to permanent closures, with small pubs set to be hardest hit.
According to the British Institute of Innkeeping, affected pubs do not have enough room to keep their customers apart.
Any pub that does reopen will also face the extra cost of ensuring social distancing is followed, which could mean hiring more staff.
They would also they have to make sure adequate PPE is available for all workers.
Phil Weaver, owner of The Old Smithy pub in Church Lawford, Warwickshire holds a pint of beer from behind a protective screen
To try and stop some pubs from having to close their doors forever, the boss of the British Institute of Innkeeping has called on the government to give them extra furlough money, cash grants and VAT tax breaks.
He told The Sun on Sunday: ‘For the majority, opening with a limited capacity means they will be trading at a loss.’
Some have warned that developers may now swoop in, converting pubs into other businesses or flats.
Greg Mulholland, chairman of the British Pub Confederation, said: ‘The usual vultures are circling, seeking to profit from turning them into other things, against the wishes of local communities.’
Though pubs are set to reopen on July 4, it promises to be a vastly different experience for drinkers.
Under the new rules, groups of friends will not be allowed to sit together in pubs and restaurants with only people from a maximum of two households allowed to share a table from July 4.
Pubs are set to reopen on July 4, though it promises to be a vastly different experience for drinkers
Alcohol hand gel provided for customers at the bar of Charrington’s Noted Ales And Stout pub in London
Friends from more than two house holds will be allowed to visit but only outside, on terraces or beer gardens, and even then, only in groups of up to six people.
If they don’t comply, pubs risk being closed by environmental health officers or their local council.
Pubs will also be required to take contact details of all their customers, in the event of a spike in coronavirus infections.
The move would help the government to track and trace potential outbreaks.
The Information Commissioner has warned pubs and bars they must abide by data protection privacy rules around keeping details of customers secure.