The hospitality sector has welcomed a government plan to regenerate high streets, announced yesterday.
Measures include pavement licences being extended for 12 months, and possibly longer. Permission for the outdoor sale of alcohol is also extended.
James Calder, chief executive of the Society of independent Brewers (SIBA), said: “One of the few positives for hospitality businesses over the last year and a half has been the relaxation of pavement licensing, which has allowed more alfresco dining and drinking spaces to be created in our towns and cities.
“Making ‘alfresco’ pavement licenses permanent is a win for our community pubs and brewery taprooms that want to provide the outdoor drinking experience in our high streets and outside brewery taprooms.
“Over the past year take-away pints have been a lifeline for small pubs and brewers left to survive on direct sales to the public, but it’s a missed opportunity not to allow these to become permanent as well.
“The lifting of restrictions on ordering at the bar, social distancing, and mask wearing, combined with the extension of these previously temporary measures could not have come sooner for a struggling sector. But we also need Government to confirm they won’t make harmful changes to small breweries’ relief, and introduce a lower rate of beer duty for beer sold in pubs in order to give the sector a real chance of recovery.”
UKHospitality chief executive, Kate Nicholls, said: “This is a hugely positive move. It allowed for a more successful re-opening, supported recovery, and demonstrated how hospitality can bring life to our high streets and town centres, as well as supporting cultural events. We called for it to be made permanent and great to see this.”
The One Voice group of industry and consumer trade bodies has written to Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for housing, communities, and local government to ensure there is adequate collaboration between hospitality businesses and local authories.
A spokesperson for the trade bodies said: “We are encouraged by the specific announcements from government this week, fully recognising the contribution from the hospitality sector and its central role in the nations’ economic recovery.
“We will now need a consistent, collaborative, and pragmatic approach from local authorities to ensure that the spirit of this decision is reflected locally, in order that hospitality can truly take advantage of this permanent expansion of their outside areas.
“Also, as legal restrictions are lifted, replaced by government guidance, hospitality businesses will be operating to a risk assessed approach, tailored to their individual venues, which needs to be fully understood by local authorities.”
