Country pubs under threat (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Country pubs under threat

Father and son Andrew, left, and Toby Ridler of the Plough Inn Ref: 200006-131RURAL taverns and inns in the Swindon area are being put at risk by a new breed of giant pub chains, an MP has claimed.

Labour MP for North Swindon, Michael Wills, has secured a high profile parliamentary debate to urge the Government to take action against so-called 'pubcos'.

He fears the huge leased-pub groups operate a stranglehold on tenant landlords.

Mr Wills said they demand high profits and quickly ditch any pub which fails to deliver it.

He believes the firms, many of whom are backed by venture capitalists, are often more concerned with selling off pub sites to property developers.

During a debate in Westminster Hall the second Commons chamber on

Wednesday, he will call on ministers to demand that pubcos bring forward a voluntary code of conduct.

If they fail to do so, the Government should bring forward a statutory code, he said: "These very large pub companies build up very large property portfolios and I am worried about how they treat leaseholders.

"They force them to buy their beer and put the prices up when they like. They really put the squeeze on them.

"I have talked to constituents who have taken these leases on economic grounds and then realise they have been unwise to do so."

Mr Wills added that more companies should follow the example of Swindon

brewer Arkell's, which he said looks after its tenants.

Brewery boss James Arkell agreed that it was important to protect rural pubs.

He said: "About a third of Arkell's pubs are rural pubs and a good landlord makes a pub.

"That is why Arkell's attributes great importance to looking after its landlords."

Toby Ridler, landlord of the Plough, in Wanborough, said: "Rural pubs have always played an important role in the community, providing a local meeting place for social, business and community matters.

"In many ways the village pub provides the focal point of village life and has arguably replaced the role of the church in bringing local people together.

"The emergence of the large pubcos operating large city centre and town pubs has changed the drinking habits of particularly, young people.

"Rural pubs will continue to thrive if they are well run and provide something other than black leather sofas, pot plants and alcopops."

Pubcos now own more than a quarter of the UK's 60,000 pubs between them.

The two biggest are Enterprise Inns and Punch Taverns.

The rise in the firms can be linked to a 1989 Conservat-ive government decision to limit the number of premises owned by the big breweries, with the aim of making the market more competitive and diverse.

Last year, a Trade and Industry Committee inquiry rejected competition concerns and claims that pubcos were unfair to tenant landlords.

But MPs on the committee did urge pubcos to change the way they deal with tenant landlords as it was "clear from the large volume of evidence submitted to us that many tenants are unhappy with their contractual relationship."

Gareth Bethell