Beer tax hope for pubs
A new Parliamentary report could help save Wigan's beleaguered pubs.
The Community Pub Inquiry, the result of a two-year investigation by the All Party Beer Group, recommends slashing tax on draught beer and for councils to tighten up planning rules over change of use applications.
And the borough's real ale guru said today that the moves could prove important weapons in the battle to save the traditional and time-honoured local.
Borough opticians chain owner Brian Gleave said that he was delighted that the report focussed on urging Government to provide better support for community pubs and had included calls for an urgent review of price differentials between pubs and supermarkets and the role of excise duty.
Nationally, Camra officials had given evidence to the inquiry suggesting a reduced rate of duty on draught beer and he hailed the fact that this is also being recommended to the government.
The report urges the Government to add its weight to CAMRA's Public House Viability Test, endorsing it as "good practice" guidance for local authorities in examining applications for change of use of pubs.
More than 36 pubs are closing nationally every week, say CAMRA.
Dozens are currently boarded up awaiting new tenants across the borough – while some have been that way now for more than two years.
Click next page for more ...Mr Gleave said: "The report is a big step forward and has many positive suggestions for Government and I hope it will be the catalyst for a change in approach which struggling community pubs so desperately need."
"It is great to see that they are suggesting rewarding pubs for their contribution to the community through rate relief.
"I'm also pleased to see that the planning loopholes which lead to unnecessary pub closures are closed.
"While a cut in tax on draught beer would reduce the price gap between pubs and supermarkets leading to more people enjoying a drink in the regulated environment of the community pub and not at home or in the street."
CAMRA say that they estimate that more than 40% of the borough's pubs have closed in recent years to be transformed into restaurants or apartments.
The situation is most dramatically illustrated in the former pit village or Golborne where more than HALF of the 12 pubs have closed their doors.
Camra warns that without Government action this is the bitter taste of things to come.
Industry insiders acknowledge that the credit crunch, smoking ban and heavily discounted supermarket booze, "ruthless" large pub companies who have replaced the breweries in pub estate ownership, have all had an impact.
They are also worried that the land on which many pubs sit is worth far more for redevelopment as housing than continuing in operation.
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Thursday 02 September 2010
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