E-Malt.com News article: UK: Pub closure figures now lower than previously thought, report shows

As the pub code legislation reached a critical stage in Parliament last week, new research shows that recent pub closure figures in the leased/tenanted sector are five per week, much lower than previously thought, and show that statutory intervention that would damage the pub trade and risk a return to far higher closure rates is not needed, says the BBPA.

The figures, which cover the year to September 2014, were prepared from a survey of BBPA members operating nearly one-third of all pubs and analysed by leading economic analysts, Oxford economics.

Whilst no analysis of the independent pub sector was undertaken, as noted in the report, the figures also correspond with analysis of the Valuation Office Agency ratings database which suggests a closure rate of around 13 per week for the whole sector based on the number of outlets classified as pubs in the database compared to a year ago.

Brigid Simmonds, BBPA Chief Executive, comments:

“These figures reflect the increasing confidence we are now seeing in the pub sector, very much supported by Government action on beer duty, business rates and other measures introduced.

“However, we are now facing very important legislation which could affect Britain’s pubs for decades to come, and it is vital this recovery is not put at risk.

“MPs who are being urged to take action that will slow the rate of pub closures need to be aware of these figures, and consider that the Government’s own research shows that up to 1,400 pubs would close, with 7,000 job losses if proposals being supported by some MPs to end the beer tie are passed into law via the Small Business Bill.”


Summary of BBPA analysis of the ratings database:

Outlets classified as pubs in England and Wales
April 2010 - September 2013, E&W
Total at start of period - 49,217
Total at end of period - 46,236
Net closures, number - -2,981
Net closures per week -17

September 2013 – August 2014, E&W
Total at start of period - 46,236
Total at end of period - 45,637
Net closures, number - -599
Net closures per week -13

The British Beer & Pub Association is the leading body representing Britain’s brewers and pub companies. The Association is more than a century old and was originally founded as the Brewers’ Society in 1904. The Association’s members account for some 90 per cent of beer brewed in Britain today, and own around 20,000 of the nation’s pubs.


28 November, 2014