The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Fife pub closure fears as Covid-19 takes toll
SAFETY: Plea for more support as cost of reopening measures will hit landlords
Scores of Fife pubs face permanent closure unless further support is forthcoming.
The Fife Licensed Trade Association said many smaller, independent pubs were struggling with the cost of putting in the safety measures required for them to reopen.
Morag Douglas, who runs The Star pub in Burntisland, said many owners were facing an “impossible choice” to either open and run at a loss, stay shut and fall further into debt, or skimp on safety in order to try to stay afloat.
“None of these choices are acceptable but I fear desperation may drive people to take the third option which will present a very real risk to public health,” she said. A Treasury spokesman said the government “acted at speed to support pubs and protect jobs”.
A swathe of Fife’s small independent pubs will be wiped off the map unless they are given targeted support to survive the Covid-19 pandemic.
The stark warning from Fife Licensed Trade Association (FLTA) reflects many small owner-operated bars at the heart of communities, which have found reopening harder than larger operators.
Morag Douglas, owner of The Star pub in Burntisland and a director of FLTA, told The Courier many publicans are facing an “impossible choice” between opening and running at a loss; staying closed and getting into further debt; or opening and running unsafely.
Ms Douglas said all three options were unacceptable to her but she believes desperation may drive people to take the third approach with a resultant risk to public health.
“These are pubs where people come in and sit round the bar in order to have social contact with other people,” she said.
“These are also the pubs which will go out of their way to support these customers in their time of need.
“At the start of lockdown, we were all very relieved to receive our grants and government-backed loans, which helped us through the first few months of closure.
“Now, however, it would appear we are being left behind as the chancellor’s announcement of a VAT cut to 5% was of no help at all to businesses who don’t sell food and there are many of us.
“His dining voucher won’t help us either and will probably drive customers to food-led outlets.”
Ms Douglas, who reopened The Star last week, said social distancing and keeping customers from the bar makes it difficult to make ends meet, while those relying on outside spaces will be left at the mercy of the Scottish weather.
“If more help is not forthcoming quickly for these businesses, I fear that there will soon be a lot less community pubs around, which will be a severe blow to our Scottish way of life in which we come together to help and support each other through such social venues,” she said.
Her comments have been echoed by FLTA secretary Jeff Ellis, who said the restart of subscriptions for showing sporting events will be a cost rather than a revenue generator.
“Some pubs have to fork out £1,000 a month and now that Amazon have got football games too, you can probably add another 50%,” he said.
A Treasury spokesman said the government has done what it can to support the hospitality industry.