Alarming rise in number of local pubs that are closing

Reporter

Thursday 20 September 2012

MORE than one-third of traditional pubs have closed in some parts of Scotland, according to a new report, which campaigners say has left many communities without their heart and soul.

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Jody Harrison

The study of the licensed trade association since 2007 – the year after the smoking ban came into force, which has been partly blamed for the demise of drinking establishments – found two locals a week have been closing.

Brewers Molson Coors found the hardest hit areas are Inverness and Nairn, where 22 out of 59 pubs have shut their doors in the last five years (36%) while overall there are 678 fewer pubs in Scotland than there were in 2007.The company's researchers looked at the number calling time in each Scottish Parliamentary area since 2007. They also found a significant numbers of closures in Argyll and Bute, down from 136 to 93 (32%), Cumbernauld and Kilsyth in North Lanarkshire, down from 18 to 12 (33%), and Perth and Kinross, down from 179 to 124 (30%).In addition to the smoking ban, the rising cost of beer and spirits has been blamed for the bleak outlook. The Scottish licensed trade association described the results of the research as worrying and called on the Government to do more to support the industry.Paul Waterson, of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said: "The fight is on to save the Scottish pub. Many communities are losing their heart and soul when the pub closes. Pubs remain popular and people want them to remain. All in all it's a very difficult time for many publicans and there's things the Government could do to support them."He said publicans have to deal with annual rises in alcohol duty and also pay out around 8% of their turnover in business rates, which are higher than those paid by shops. Many traditional pubs are also still trying to deal with the aftermath of the smoking ban, which saw them lose as much as 80% of their customer base, and the rise of cheap alcohol from supermarkets and off-licences and competition from major chains.David Cassidy, chairman of the Renfrewshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), said losing a pub had a knock-on effect throughout an area's economy. He said: "The loss of pubs is a huge problem – the local economy is poorer as less money is flowing through it; drinkers are then turning to drinking at home where they tend to drink more over an evening than they would in the pub, which can obviously lead to health problems."The biggest change that could be made is for the Government [both Scottish and UK] to recognise well-run pubs are not a threat to the nation's health, but could actually help improve it. "Sensible tax breaks to assist the pubs while also getting rid of the distortion in duty paid between supermarkets and pubs would be a massive step forward in reversing the trend of pub closures."The study found the type of people who frequent local pubs has changed, with more than half of women among their customers. Younger people in their mid-twenties and those aged between 24 and 44 proved to be the most frequent visitors. Many pubs are offering different services to attract customers, with some in rural areas doing their customers' shopping, while others organise activities such as knitting circles and language classes.Lindsay Grant, Camra's Scottish organiser, said he had been in a village pub that doubled as the local post office two days a week. Phil Whitehead, director of Molson Coors Scotland, said: "Actively seeking to attract a wider audience is cementing the key role pubs continue to play in society."A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Almost two out of five Scottish pubs pay zero or reduced business rates as part of the most generous business rate relief package in the UK, central to which is the Small Business Bonus Scheme. These figures also include pubs which receive the Scottish Government rural business rates relief."

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Alarming rise in number of local pubs that are closing

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