Warning: Rural pubs on verge of closing for good
AN EXTENDED lockdown will rip the heart out of Britain’s rural communities by forcing pubs to close their doors for good, Boris Johnson has been warned.
A Countryside Alliance survey of 80 rural pubs revealed that six in 10 landlords believe they will go out of business if restrictions are not lifted until the summer.
The warning comes after Downing Street was forced to scotch claims it intended to allow pubs to reopen in April but not be allowed to serve alcohol until May.
Now rural landlords have demanded clarity.
Some in tourist areas are hoping a return to summer holidays may provide a much needed boost.
But a poll for the Sunday Express, by Redfield &Wilton, found that 52 per cent of people are not planning a break at all this year because of the pandemic.
Phil Doyle, publican at thethree Tuns in Heddon, near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, believes he has until June or July when he would be forced to give up.
He said: “It’s not that we don’t
FEARS: Landlords Paul, Joss and Kim
understand the need for restrictions.we just want fairness.
“It’s amazing people can go and buy bottles or cans of beer from the garage then sit in the gardens near my pub.”
He says the pub is the heart of the community, adding: “I would have given up by now but I know how important it is to the village.”
Paul Edwards, landlord at the 250-year-old Red Lion in Caston, Norfolk, said the rule making people buy a substantial meal with a drink had hurt business.
He said: “Luckily we have got a reputation for good food.”
Joss Beechim-horton and his partner Kim Pearce, of the Manor House Inn in Rilla Mill, Cornwall, say they have until Easter before the mortgage becomes too much.
Joss said: “If we have to close it’s not just the business we lose but our home.we live here.”
Sociologist Dr Claire Markham from Nottinghamtrent University, who has studied the impact on communities of rural pubs, warned: “When rural pubs close so much more than a place to drink is lost. Local dart, pool and quiz teams can disband impacting on the social lives of members; and residents lose a social and cultural space.”