by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Fears have been raised that budget changes and on-going financial pressures could result in more Dorset pub closures.
Said West Dorset Campaign for Real Ale spokesman Rich Gabe: “As long as supermarkets are allowed to offer crazy loss-leading promotions using alcohol as a tool and Governments keep a high level tax rate and business rate for pubs it will always be a one sided challenge, this is the reasons so many publicans are forced to leave or sell their pubs”.
The group says that despite the belief that many local pubs are brewery-owned many are effectively privately owned, or held by a specialist pub company, or property companies.
“For example we have 18 pubs in our area, operated by Punch Taverns, but they are actually owned by American property company Fortress,” said West Dorset CAMRA branch secretary Tony Egerton.
Former publican and former Weymouth town councillor Luke Wakeling, has used his social media to speak up in defence of pubs and to call for changes via the South Dorset MP : “The budget was last week. Pubs and Grassroots-Music-Venues campaigned hard for some kind of break – but got quite the opposite,” he said, listing a hike in business rates and beer duty, added together with rising energy prices and staff costs.
“Many of these things affect all small businesses and I’m not suggesting that these tax rises won’t be equally devastating to other sectors too. I’m an ex-publican, and I have a soft spot for the British Pub. Not only are pubs a deep part of British culture, pubs have an important role in our communities. I’ve heard the pub described as “a shared living room”, and a good pub does a lot to combat loneliness and improve the nation’s mental health.”
He says that in 2024 a total of 412 British pubs were lost forever – more than one a day, including three from Weymouth.
“I fear the rate of losses will be even greater next year – can we afford to lose another 1000 pubs from this country? Sadly, it is the smaller pubs, in villages and suburbs’ communities, that do the most good that are most at risk.
“I have written to our new MP at least three times since he was elected about help for pubs and grassroots music venues. He always replies that he cares about pubs, but we need actions, not words. If you have 10 minutes, please drop Lloyd Hatton MP an email and ask him to do more, to help the 106+ pubs in his constituency, before they are all gone.”
A quick internet search reveals many pubs across Dorset currently for sale although CAMRA’s Tony Egerton warns that many might be ‘testing the market’ or still showing up in out of date searches.
